


Fate/ Azure Destiny

by Polyfemus



Category: Fate/Grand Order, 碧蓝航线 | Azur Lane (Video Game)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Alternate Universe, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:55:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 75,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22885120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polyfemus/pseuds/Polyfemus
Summary: Many years after the battle against Goetia and the end of the Grand Order, Fujimaru Ritsuka finds himself involved in another war. Will the previous last master of humanity be able to accept his role in the incoming war? [AU]
Comments: 31
Kudos: 127





	1. The Remains

"Now, allow me to show you." The monstrous figure looked down upon us; his voice was filled with immeasurable rage. "This is the end of your journey, the end of human history!"

He moved his deformed yellow and black hand.

"Deploying Third Noble Phantasm. The time of birth hath come; I am the remedy of eternity!"

The black sky of the Time Temple began to shine with a purple, powerful light. A mass of red energy started gathering, powerful enough to incinerate humanity with a single hit.

And before that despairing sight, one that would bring fear to the bravest man, she just stood there, in front of me.

With her shield on her hands, she stood ready to protect me, just like she always did.

But this time, it was different. Her small figure now looked bigger than ever before; her back looked wider than everyone I had come to know.

The girl that first met me with a curious look on her face now looked stronger than every hero, villain or Servant I had come to meet in this Grand Order.

" _ **ARS ALMADEL SALOMIS"**_ The monster roared, and the light descended upon us.

I extended my hand, in hope of reaching her, in hope of feeling her warm one last time. But my hands never held her again; she was out of my reach.

So far away.

* * *

I woke up in my bed.

The sheets had been thrown to the side at some point in the night, and the cold breeze of the morning touched my entire body.

It was pleasant.

With all the force I could muster, I got out of bed and started preparing for the new day.

The digital clock on the nightstand marked the five past six. It was still a bit early, but I needed to get ready with time if I didn't want to be late.

My normal routine flowed like it always did, I showered with cold water to get rid of any doziness that may still be with me, and once I was done, I contemplated for a minute if I should cut my beard a bit or not.

"Still not long enough to look like a beggar." A rapid look at the mirror gave me the answer.

I put on my clothes, took the keys and briefcase with the marked exams, and went to the door to abandon my house and start another day.

Only to stop before turning the key.

I looked back at my apartment, and my eyes moved to the object hanged from the wall. It would be normal if it was a painting or a diploma, but that object couldn't look more out of place in the small apartment.

It was a cross-shaped shield, black but with a distinct silver shine, and big enough to occupy almost the entire wall.

"I'll be back at night." I said to the inanimate object, with no hope of ever getting a response. And even so, that futile act made me happy.

"Take care, Mashu."

* * *

"Good morning, kids." I said, as I entered the classroom.

"Good morning teacher." Some of my students answered.

Others saw me but didn't, probably thinking that acknowledging my presence was enough of a greeting.

Another group whispered "Dude, Fujimaru is already here" thinking that I couldn't hear them, and the last remaining group of students just ignored me altogether.

So pretty much the same as usual.

"I have the result of the exams and most of you did…" I stopped, with the hope of creating some expectation and probably falling. "…quite well actually."

And it was true, maybe kids these days are more interested in history than in my student days, or hey, maybe I am actually a really good teacher!

…or maybe they cheated without me realizing.

"Although the ones that failed did it pretty bad." I said as I separated the approved exams from the failed ones. Just then I saw an especially disastrous exam and felt my mind developing a headache.

"And speaking of that, Mr. Lewis, can I ask you a question?"

The boy named Lewis who was talking with another student suddenly looked at me, surprised.

"Yes, teacher, what's up?

"Nothing much, Mr. Lewis, I was just wondering why did you write that emperor Nero was a girl?"

The class burst into laughter, while Lewis snickered.

"Sorry, teach, I didn't know what to do with that question, so I started thinking how much more interesting this subject would be if the emperor was a woman hiding her gender."

"A woman with big bonkers." Said another voice, murmuring, which immediately resulted in another burst of laughter

"Hey, language." I warned him, but I didn't really mean it. Then I looked back at Lewis. "You have quite the imagination Mr. Lewis, it would be great if you could put that enthusiasm in studying."

Lewis just shrugged, not really caring.

Oh, but he should care, I thought. After all, that question was the only one he got correct.

"…"

I wonder who much time has passed since I heard her sing? Four years? Five years? I used to hate hearing her back in Chaldea.

A now I wanted nothing more than to hear her again.

* * *

"Hey, Ritsuka." A voice called for me.

A man approached me, with an expression of tiredness on his face. He was wearing a brown suit a bit too elegant for a high school teacher, some trousers of the same color and a pair of glasses.

"Oh, Arthur. How it's going?" I noticed that he was taking a pack of cigars of his pocket. "Are you on break?"

"Nah, my class is having some dumb talk about environmental care or something. "He offered me a cigar. "What about you?"

"I am done with class 2-A." I said as I shake my head in denial. "I have ten minutes until I have to take care of 3-C."

"I see, I see."

And then, the conversation died down while Arthur brought his lighter to the cigar on his mouth.

"Ritsuka." To my surprise, he continued talking, I was sure that he was more interested in savoring one of his cigars than me.

"Hmm?"

"Don't you miss your homeland sometimes?"

"Where does that question come from?" I gave him a wry smile.

"Well, it's just that sometimes you look a bit…gloomy is the word?"

"Hey." If I didn't know Arthur as much as I did I would think he was trying to mock me.

No, actually he is probably doing it.

"Well, not gloomy, more like…nostalgic? It's like you always have your mind on something."

"Wow, didn't know you majored in psychology too. Must have been hard having to study both that and math in college."

"Ha! If that were the case, at least I could add a nice title to my name." He smoked some more. "Instead of just "teacher" it would be "Dr. Arthur". Doesn't that sound way cooler?"

I chuckled, this man always manages to make me laugh a bit.

It's not like we were actually that friendly to begin with, it was more like we were both in the same boat so we may as well try to get along.

Just a person to talk about the mundane of life.

"You didn't answer my question, though. Do you miss Japan?"

So he still wants to know…

"Not really. I have become accustomed to England in all these years. And you know, I actually have people I know here, in Japan though…"

"Oh, dang." He took the cigar of his mouth, looking a bit worried."Sorry, I didn't want to remind you of-"

"My family?"

"…Yes"

"It's fine." I tried to reassure him. "It's been years since then."

"Must be hard either way. I don't really get along with my parents or brothers really." He released a "puff" of smoke. "But the thought of them not being there…."

"It's hard." A sad small appeared on my face. "But even if I didn't want to, I had to learn to let them go and continue living."

…

To let my family go…to let Chaldea go.

I keep saying that, but the truth is that after all these years, I still miss them.

Nero, Heracles, Asterios, Abby, Hokusai, Arturia, Orion, Kiyohime, Tamamo, Emiya, Musashi, Holmes, Da Vinci, Roman…

Mashu.

* * *

Since it was Friday, Arthur wanted to invite me for some drinks to "cheer me up" apparently. I kept saying that I was okay but he kept pushing so I gave up in the end.

It was already dark outside when I arrived at my apartment. I had more than a few drinks so I was a bit tipsy, however, all my dizziness disappeared once I saw the door of my apartment.

It was slightly open, although I clearly remember closing it properly this morning.

Once I got a bit closer I noticed another thing: the lock was destroyed and not in a way to avoid attention, it was more like someone had forced his way in with brute strength alone.

Someone definitely entered my house.

I breathed deeply and steeled my nerves, trying to think carefully about the situation.

The possibility of someone from the mage association trying to find me briefly came to my mind, but I quickly disregarded it. I am sure they want to forget that I ever existed more than to seek revenge.

No, it was more likely that this was just some random burglar looking for things to steal. If that was the case, then it would be better to just wait outside and let the police handle this.

…

However, I won't sit idle while someone steals from me.

Was it a matter of pride?

Maybe.

I am a still Magus; maybe I have more in common with those assholes of the Clock Tower than I think.

Moving as slowly as I could, I opened the broken door and entered without making a sound, the light was turned off and darkness covered the entire apartment.

I hide behind a wall before reaching the main hall, my apartment is not that big, there weren't many places to hide beside the bathroom. If the burglar was still here, then he should be in the hall.

It's been years since I last did it, but I still can use spells.

I raised my hand while remembering how to use a Gandr shot. That would be enough to incapacitate a normal person.

I breathed deeply once again, and abandoned my cover. With my hand pointing like a pistol, I was ready to face the intruder.

But I wasn't prepared to see what I found.

The intruder stood in the middle of the hall, not even trying to hide her presence. I couldn't see her face since she was facing away from me, but I was sure she was a girl. Long white hair done in a ponytail fell on her back, and she was wearing what I think was a white and black school uniform.

However, something caught my attention, from the back of her head grew two horn-like objects, which strangely enough seemed to shine yellow in the darkness of my apartment.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my house?"

The moment the girl turned to face me, I saw them.

Her eyes, they glowed in the dark too, with an intense yellow brightness, but that wasn't what caught my attention, what I couldn't ignore was the insane excitement that those eyes showed me.

That was the proof, even if it had been some time since I experienced something supernatural, I could say for sure that this girl wasn't human.

"Oh, what do we have here?" She tided her head to the side, without breaking eye contact. "How long have you been there, little human?"

I could feel an invisible pressure while she talked, this girl must be quite something, I doubt a Gandr would work against her.

"That's not…something you ask to the owner of this place." I slowly lowered my hand, whatever this thing is, she wasn't seeing me as a threat for now and I wanted that to continue. "What are you doing here? Are you lost?"

I tried to feign ignorance and slowly began moving sidewise.

"Lost? Oh no. I am where I want to be." A wide smile appeared on her face. "I wonder if it's the same for you, Fujimaru Ritsuka."

"H-How did you know my name?"

Slowly, she mustn't notice what I am trying to do.

"We can know everything about anyone once they come in contact with us. Let's see…" She brought her hand to her chin as if trying to recall something. " Name: Fujimaru Ritsuka. Age: twenty-six. Profession: History Teacher. Place of birth: Unknown. Name of the Father: Unknown. Name of the Mother: unknown. Other Family Members: Unknown. Oh?"

Suddenly she stopped.

"I can't seem to find information about you within your birth and six years, five months, six days, eight hours, twenty minutes, and two seconds ago. How strange."

She began approaching me.

"Status of the Parents: Unknown. Scholarship Level: Unknown. Acquaintances from six years ago: Unknown. Activities from six years ago: Unknown. Unknown. Unknown. Unknown. Unknown. Unknown. Unknown. Unknown. Unknown. Unknown. Unknown."

She was getting too close so I had to stop. Her approach forced me to step back, but I hit a wall behind me after a couple of steps.

"We seem to lack a lot of information about you, I wonder if it has something to do with that shield."

At that moment I realized it, she had been staring at Mashu's shield when I entered the room. Was that the reason she was here?

"I don't know what are talking about, I am just… a history teacher as you said." I tried to pretend ignorance. "And that shield is just antiquity from a friend of mine."

"Lies."

"…!"

"Humans usually react differently when they encounter us; the fact that you seem calm is suspicious."

Shit, she realized!

She had me against the wall, cutting any possible escape route. Her bright eyes looked at me with a mad stare.

"You present quite a lot of unknown variables….that could be troublesome to our plan." She slowly moved her hand to my face, her fingers coming close to my eyes, too close. "I was going to kindly ask you about the shield, but it seems like I have to…"

I didn't let finish. With a swift move, I put my hand on her face and shoot a Gandr, she was so close that she didn't have time to dodge. Or maybe she could but didn't expect that a "little human" would be capable of that.

Either way, I managed to escape from her grasp and run to where Mashu's shield was hanged.

"Oh? That hurt a bit." Unsurprisingly, the thing didn't go down with just a Gandr shoot, in fact, it didn't even leave a scratch on her face. "What was that? We have no records of that kind "energy", other humans don't have it. Fufufufufu. This is far more interesting than I thought!"

I took Mashu's shield…no, I took Lord Camelot from the wall, and put it on my right hand.

"Now I see it!" She exclaimed, with a mad excitement. "You hide beneath that disguise of a boring normal human, but now I see it clearly."

She then pointed at me.

"Your eyes are those of a warrior, they show defiance, they show decision. How amusing. Do you truly think you can face us, The Sirens, by yourself?"

"...I don't know what or who you are." I secured the shield in my right hand, and put it between me and this so-called Siren. "But I won't go down without a fight!"

This life, the life that Mashu Kirielight saved. I have decided to protect it.

So that her sacrifice wasn't in vain, I have decided to live.

"I won't let you kill me so easily!"

"Fufuufufu...so be it, then. This is outside of my predetermine mission, but you are far too interesting to ignore." She extended her hands, and from the thin air, four black floating objects came to exist, they had a futuristic look and looked similar to drones, each one had two cylindrical protrusions that looked like cannons." I am Purifier, Battleship-class ship from the Sirens" She made a small reverence.

"Purifier…? What do you purify, if you let me ask?"

"Humanity."

"But of course…" I said, cursing internally. "It's always about humanity, isn't it?"

* * *

A loud sound echoed in the dark room, as a robotic voice spoke in an unemotional voice.

"WARNING, SIREN ACTIVITY DETECTED. SIREN ACTIVITY DETECTED."

Between the chaotic sounds of the alarm, computers' key being pressed furiously, phones ringing at the background and people shouting to each other, a woman with red air and black uniform stood next to a man sitting before a large machine.

"Where is the signal coming from?" She asked, with a stern tone.

"Ma'am…" His subordinate managed to hear her between all the noises, but he looked worried. "This must be wrong…there is no way…!"

"I asked you a question, cadet. Where is the signal coming from?"

"…It's not coming from the ocean; the signal is coming from inland territory, ma'am."

"…! To think that they would come so close…!"

It was the first time The Siren had ventured inland, usually, they are satisfied controlling the sea, an attack to the country was something they weren't prepared for.

"What should we do, ma'am? The prototypes aren't functional yet…"

"I beg to differ on that."

Another woman appeared, she had long white hair and her mere presence was completely different from the soldiers in the room. She was calm, her silver eyes never showed an iota of worry. Her outfit was equally strange; it could be easily described as a maid uniform, and on her neck was a steel collar attached to a broken chain.

"You…! What are you doing here!? Who gave you permission to move on your-"

"Be quiet, cadet!" The woman in black shut the man up."Explain yourself."

"The Queen does not take lightly this advance on her territory; it has ordered us maids to intervene."

"The Queen…" The woman couldn't believe that the prototypes had a hierarchy already; it hasn't been that long since they were awakened. "Regardless of what you were ordered, I can't send a group of weapons disguised as girls to fight in a city full of civilians; they would bring too much attention."

"We have a special member specialized in undercover operations. If we send her, I guarantee that you won't hear a single thing about us in the media."

"Special members for undercover operations!? You were almost born yesterday, weapon! Do you expect us to believe-"

"Cadet, if you don't shut up, I will personally take care that you would be thrown in the filthiest cell that they can find for insubordination."

The man went silent, realizing that he had overstepped his rank.

"Are you sure you can do it?" The woman asked the maid. "If this mission fails, I can't guarantee yours and the other's survival."

"We are weapons, Marcia. We were made for this. If we can't destroy a single Siren attacking our country, then we deserve to be destroyed."

Marcia looked at the maid's eyes, there wasn't doubt in them.

"Alright. You have my permission to deploy."

"You have my sincerest thanks" She took her long skirt and lifted up a little in a reverence. "I, the Head Maid Belfast from the Royal Navy, won't disappoint you, Commander."

**END OF CHAPTER 1**


	2. Siren's Song

One should always know their own limitations.

A thing I had come to understand during my time as the last Master of Humanity was my own weakness, as well as the difference between a Servant and a human being.

A Servant may have been human once, but once they have been recorded in the Throne of Heroes, they change.

They become something different, something more.

A Servant transcends humankind, they become faster and stronger, even more than when they were still alive. They become capable of defying the laws of the world, they become capable of miracles.

That's why the sole idea of a human facing a Servant is ridiculous.

Utterly and entirely ridiculous.

And even knowing all that, why am I once again facing a being that seems to surpass humanity? Why am I again in a position where my life may be suddenly forfeit without me being able to do anything?

Maybe it was fate, the same fate that brought me to Chaldea all those years ago.

Whatever the case was, I don't plan on dying to this Siren thing. Just like the last time, I was going to live.

And to live, means knowing your own limitations.

I dashed against the door of my apartment, the already broken door didn't reduce my running speed that much, and what awaited me on the other side was an empty corridor.

Hoping that none of my neighbors will decide to go outside, I ran towards the stairs.

From behind, the sound of the drones drew near. The vibration of them floating in the air was suddenly overcome by an energy cannon being shot; a strange energy bullet went in my direction.

I quickly moved Lord Camelot behind me back to block the attack. Thankfully the bullet disappeared as soon as it touched the shield.

It wasn't like I doubted Lord Camelot durability, but it would a lie if I said I wasn't worried about how those thing's attacks would react to a Noble Phantasm.

I had no idea what these Sirens were, but they didn't seem magical, rather, I would say that they are the complete opposite. The drones she was using were mechanical looking, so could it be that their power comes from technology, rather than mystery?

I could hear the same sound again, as another shot impacted on the shield, with little to no effect.

I will have time to think about the nature of the enemy later, for now…

I felt Od rushing through my magic circuits, a black and red sphere of magical energy appeared on my left hand.

I stopped running, and turned to face the drones. Covering myself using the shield of my right hand, I moved my other hand pointing towards the nearest drone.

The Gandr was shot; however, the machine easily dodged it and without losing a second, the drone responded firing once again.

"Damn you!"

Their energy bullets weren't doing anything to Lord Camelot, but I was clearly on the losing side of the conflict if I could do nothing but defend and run.

I resumed my running through the corridors, shielding my back from the barrage of energy bullets. The stairs to the floor below were near, I just had to-

Suddenly, as I was about to turn a corner, another drone appeared just in front of me.

Shit! I won't make it in time to block it with Lord Camelot!

Without another choice, I shouted my aria of reinforcement; green lines appeared on my legs, followed by an unnatural feeling of strength.

The drone shoot, I could have tried to evade its attack and pass beneath it, but I didn't have that much confidence in my ability.

Instead, I hit the ground and threw myself to the side, crashing with a closed window.

Breaking the glass hurt, but I manage to fell safely outside the building; never in my life had I been more thankful to live on a second floor, a couple of meters more and I would have probably broken my legs, reinforced or not.

All this to just to evade a drone, if only I had my old Mystic Codes then fighting these things wouldn't be this difficult. Sadly the Mage Association wasn't kind enough of returning it.

Obviously, the drones followed me.

"Why can't they just give up!?" I cursed internally as I continue running for my life.

* * *

A few hundred meters away, standing perfectly still on top of a radio tower, was a woman in a maid costume, her amber eyes studied carefully the events that just took place.

"The Siren is moving! What are you doing prototype number 05!? Why have you not engaged with the target yet!?" A furious voice spoke on her left ear.

"…"

The maid ignored the woman's shouts, and just stood where she was. What was happening below her was far more important than some vermin's cries.

"Can you hear me, prototype 05!? Engage with the Siren right n-" The maid took the communicator from her ear, and smashed it.

"Belfast, are you there?" Then she spoke, as if another person was there next to her.

"Sheffield." The head maid answered, her voice spoke directly to her head without any need for a device. "That was not very nice of you, the Commander is mad now."

"I see, tell her that I am deeply sorry, my hand slipped and I broke the communicator." Sheffield said in a neutral tone what was obviously a lie. "More importantly, Belfast. The situation here has changed, can we talk?"

"No…." Belfast made a small pause. "I told you, Sheffield, you have to follow the Siren now."

"…If you can't talk but can hear, then repeat yes two times."

"Yes, yes, it's an order form the Commander."

"Good, then I will proceed to tell you what just happened. One of these vermin- I mean humans, was fighting against the Siren directly, he had what appears to some kind of shield capable of withstanding her attacks. At this moment, he is escaping from her at an unnaturally high speed. Did you hear all that?"

There was a longer silence this time, until Belfast could answer.

"Yes…we talked about this. You have to follow the Commander's order."

"Alright, I don't know what this is all about. It could be just another Siren trap to lure us…or the humans could be hiding information from us again. There was no mention of anyone working with the United Kingdom's government to fight the Sirens, and last time I checked, we were supposed to be the only one capable of fighting them. Either way, the situation is fishy, what should I do?"

"Think about the Queen…she wouldn't like you to disobey our allies."

"Understood. Tell the Commander I am going to purse the Siren now but make no mention of the human with the shield. I'll be communicating with them through you."

Sheffield then broke the mental link and began jumping between buildings, following the man.

"Think about the Queen….." She repeated Belfast words. How would the Queen want her to resolve the situation? What course of action would benefit the Royal Navy the most?

After a few seconds, she reached a conclusion.

"The Siren must be taken care of, as for that human…"

If the shield he wields is powerful enough to stand against a Siren, then it's a matter of time until the humans manage to develop weapons that work on them too.

If that comes to happen, then the delicate balance between the Royal Navy and the United Kingdom's government may be disrupted against them.

The Queen wouldn't allow that.

She couldn't allow that.

"If he turns out to be a threat to us, then he will be eliminated as well."

* * *

After quite some time of running like a madman, I turned back to see that the drones were nowhere to be found. It seemed like at some point in my escape, I managed to lose them.

"Ah…Ah….Ah…"

Feeling how the fatigue was starting to affect me, I walked to the nearest alley and hid myself next to a garbage container. After making sure that the enemy wasn't coming, I finally sat down.

"Ahh…ahh…" I was panting; I needed some time to recover. "I just…I just hope that nobody saw me running using magecraft. That would be troublesome in more than a few ways. "

Will the mage association come for me if I get caught using magic? It's not like I had another choice, if it wasn't for the reinforcement spell, they would have surely caught me up.

It was a few hours into the night and I didn't notice anyone in the streets, but I couldn't say for sure if someone had spotted me from his house, for example.

I deeply sighed.

Either I get killed by those drones or the clock tower locks me up again, my future wasn't hopeful.

While I was recovering, I looked at the shield in my right hand.

Lord Camelot still looked as strong and sturdy as the first time I saw Mashu using it, those energy bullets didn't leave a single scratch on its surface.

"Mashu…" Even if she was no longer here, she was still protecting me. "I'll be sure to survive this, I promise."

"Who is Mashu?"

I froze. A girl's voice came from above me.

My breathing accelerated again, as I slowly lifted my head.

The Siren was there, sitting on top of the garbage container, looking at me with a smile of complacency.

I quickly stood up, trying to put some distance between us.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you."

"…!" I stopped my steps as four black drones blocked my path, their cannons pointing at me.

"Now, I wonder if you can move your shield fast enough to block all the shots. Care to try, Fujimaru Ritsuka?"

"…"

I didn't even try, I knew I couldn't. By the time I moved my right hand, I would be already dead.

I took a deep breath with resignation, as I turned to look at the Siren.

I was at her mercy now.

"Are you going to kill me?" The best I could do was trying to make time until I could find a gap to use my reinforcement and escape.

"Kill you? Oh no, you misunderstand us." He abandoned the container with a small jump, and began approaching me. "I was going to bring you to our base, cut you open and then study every part of your organism with love and care."

"…!"

This thing...so sadistic…

"But where would be the fun in that? Also, I don't want Observer Alfa or Tester Beta to ruin our fun..."She said, with a progressive lower tone, but immediately went back to her usual self. "So let's play a game, shall we?"

"…it's not like I have a choice, right?"

"That's the spirit!" Her cheerfulness could have been cute if she wasn't trying to kill me. "So this is how it's going to be, I am going to ask you questions, and if you lie to me or I don't like the answer, I'll be cutting one of your limbs, simple, right?"

"…"

Silence.

"What, you don't like it?"

Nobody likes to get their limbs cut out, but as she doesn't seem to understand reason, I tried a different approach.

"…How is that a game…if you are the only one having fun?"

"Hmmmmm." She appeared to really be thinking about it. "Then let's do this. For every satisfactory answer you give, I let you ask a question. Won't that be more fun to you?"

"But how can I know if you are honest?"

She shrugged.

"It's up to you if you want to believe me or not."

I wanted to say how unjust it was that I couldn't lie but she could, however, I didn't want to test my luck, so I accepted those unreasonable rules.

I ignored if she has a way of telling if I was lying or not. I could always just answer with half-truths but…I don't doubt that she will really cut one of my limbs if I mess up.

"Then it's question time!" She raised one arm on the air like an excited kid. "Who is this "Mashu" person?"

…!

Of all the things you could ask…it had to be that…

"…Are you sure you want to know that?" My voice came out dejected."Weren't you more interested in-"

"What would you rather lose, your left arm or your left leg?" She asked, with a smile.

"Alright, alright, I understand." I tried to calm her. "Mashu is…was an important friend of mine, someone how helped me when I needed it the most, my partner, my companion, my guide…she passed away a few years ago."

"Uh…" Purifier tided her head. "Then why do you call your shield "Mashu"?"

"This is not my shield…" I looked at Lord Camelot, it was still on my right hand. "This was her shield; she used it to protect me."

She continued looking at me, as if wasn't answering her question."

"That's why sometimes it reminds me of her." I forced a more precise answer. "That's why I call her name sometimes."

"Ohhh. And how did she die?"

"…You said I could ask questions too." I looked with an accusing stare. "I have already answered two times."

In reality, I just wanted to change the topic.

She gave me a bored expression.

"Alright, ask away." Her tone becomes uninterested.

"Then tell me, what exactly are the "Sirens"?"

"Ships from the future. Next question."

"…huh?"

Did she just say something incredible like it was nothing?

"Next question." She now was impatient.

Focus, Ritsuka. Understanding her nature could wait, what was important now is getting all the information I can get.

"What is your objective, and what it has to do with me?"

"Fufufu…those are two questions. But I let it slide just for you, aren't I a good girl?"

No, you are certainly not.

"We, the Sirens, want just one thing: evolution."

"Evolution…?"

"As for you…." She didn't elaborate and continued talking. "You are mysterious. We lack a lot of information about your existence, and whenever we try to track you in the timeline, we can't find anything beyond 6 years ago."

"..."

"This is not the first time this has happened, sometimes, even perfect machines have errors, you know?." She continued explaining. "We call it a false positive or a bug, kill it and call it a day but..."

She approached even more, and started walking around me as if studying me, her eyes were full of curiosity.

"Imagine our surprise when even when we go looking for you in other worlds, we can't find you."

"Eh…?"

Other…worlds...?

"You aren't present in other worlds. For some inexplicable reason, you are unique to this one. The fact that we weren't informed of such an important event means that you aren't part of the Creator's plan..."

I did no longer hear her, those words still echoed in my head like a whisper.

Other worlds.

Different worlds, parallel worlds.

Worlds where certain things didn't happen, worlds were certain things went in another direction.

Worlds were things can be changed.

"Hey." I put a hand on her shoulder.

"Huh?" She was startled; maybe she didn't expect me to actually touch her.

"Can you…send me to another world?"

"What-?"

"If you can travel to other worlds like nothing, then you can also send me to another world, is that right?" My tone was starting to lose its calm.

Her surprised expression was quickly replaced with a mischievous smile.

"So that's what you really want, huh?" She slowly moved her hand to touch my cheek "The light in your eyes has changed, now all I see is desire, a deep and strong desire."

"Can you do it or not!?" My voice sounded desperate.

I needed to know, I needed to know if there was still a possibility...!

"Fufufufufu" She laughed, and put her arms around me."Let's see…maybe we can reach an agreement...?

Her bright golden eyes looked at me with expectation.

I still didn't know what this Siren wanted, but if she could send me back…if she could send me to Chaldea…I…

I was about to respond, when a series of loud explosion occurred behind me. A quick glance revealed that the drones behind me had been destroyed, all four of them now rested on fire on the floor.

"What the-?"

Before I could react, a barrage of bullets came in my direction.

"Tch…It seems like we have company!" Purifier separated from me, and with a swift move she intercepted the bullets with both arms, protecting me."And when we were about to get into the part."

Apart from sounding annoyed, I noticed that for the first time, she showed a true pained expression, those bullets actually hurt her.

"Seems like someone forgot to take out the garbage." A new voice could be heard from above us. Then a person fell from the sky, the ground broke once her high silver boots stepped on it.

She was wearing a maid uniform with a pretty long black dress and white motifs. One amber eye observed us with a neutral expression, while the other was hidden behind her short brown hair. To complete the strange outfit, a steel collar was on her neck, and from an inverted Christian cross was connected with a chain.

"Ah, but don't worry."On her hands appeared two pistols, which she quickly pointed at us. "It's a maid's duty to take care of the cleaning."

**END OF CHAPTER 2**


	3. Dark Blue, Crimson Red

I looked dumbfounded at the abrupt appearance of the maid. Suddenly, the number of strange people had gone up.

First, a schoolgirl with golden eyes capable of summoning drones, now it was a maid dual-wielding pistols; not to mention that both of them tried to kill me at least once.

"…."

As much as I 'd like to say that this is one of the strangest things that had happened to me, I still vividly remember that one time when Astolfo suddenly barged in my room wearing a maid uniform and fake bunny ears while screaming: "I am a rabbit from the moon."

I am afraid that's difficult to top.

Either way, I couldn't help but wonder where this collection of strange characters came from. Was this maid also a superhuman being? Another Siren? They surely didn't look alike. Or were they from different factions? Enemies?

There were too many questions, and not nearly enough answers.

However, one thing was clear.

"This maid is hostile." I thought while I raised Lord Camelot in front of me and took a defensive stance. I ignored the reason, but her bullets went directly to my head; she was prepared to kill me in cold blood and if it wasn't for Purifier, she would have succeeded.

Not that I consider the Siren my ally now, she may as well be the reason this maid tried to kill me in the first place.

Although, rather than the Siren, she was staring at me. Her gaze didn't carry any apparent enmity at first glance, however, I did see one emotion that betrayed her unemotional façade, it was neither fury nor anger, it was…

Disgust.

She was looking at me as if I were a cockroach; something so disgusting that it shouldn't be allowed to live. Whatever her reason was, this maid clearly considered me someone that should be eliminated.

"What are you doing here, so far from the sea, pawn?" Purifier suddenly broke the silence; her tone denoted a feeling of superiority. "Why aren't you bonding with your human friends?"

The maid's expression remained neutral.

"It's the duty of the Royal Navy to exterminate any kind of Siren threat, being in the sea or not." Her eyes never stopped staring at me. "The same goes for traitors."

"Traitors…?" I couldn't contain my confusion. "I have no idea what are you talking about."

"Pests don't deserve explanations, only a quick and effective extermination." She declared, and the talk was over, both pistols opened fire again.

Although I easily blocked her bullets this time, she didn't lose a second and approached me with impossible velocity. Before I could even think my next move, she was already next to me, her pistols moved to shot the next barrage at point-blank.

However, Purifier intercepted her, and with a single punch, the maid was sent flying in the opposite direction. A cloud of dust was raised the moment the maid crashed with one of the alley walls.

"That power…."

I knew the difference between us was big, but at that moment I understood it all; she was just toying with me using her drones. If she really wanted to kill me, she could have done it a long time ago.

"Ah, sorry, Fujimaru Ritsuka." She turned back to me and made an apologetic smile.

Then, she dashed towards the fallen maid, who was just about to get up and grabbed her by the neck.

"Wait for a bit, okay?" Having said that, she began jumping between buildings and left the alley with the maid.

"…"

Everything happened so quickly that my brain had difficulty processing it. I was suddenly left alone in the alley, and without a doubt, looking like a confused idiot.

My fighting spirit slowly disappeared and I lowered Mashu's shield, suddenly feeling tired.

"What…what should I do now?"

She told me to wait but…should I just stay here and wait? No, should I even trust her? She didn't actually answer my question.

"…."

Maybe I should simply leave… and try to forget about all this.

My life here is not bad; I secured a job and a place to live at least a bit comfortably, I even made some friends, people who I could talk to.

I had already accepted my destiny after coming here; the fact that my years of risking my life were long gone. I was prepared to live the rest of my life here as a normal person, who will eventually succumb to old age.

But this…this changes everything.

If I follow them, I'll be destroying all those things I have worked upon these six past years. I have already been there before, entangled in a war that far surpassed my own abilities, and I know how it's going to end, that image will always be stuck in my head.

The desolating silence after Mashu's sacrifice, leaving only her shield behind which still stood despite the death of its user.

No matter how many years had passed, I will never be prepared to experience those things again. I am not like the Servants that used to follow me; I am just a mere human that happens to know a bit of magic.

I am no hero, I am just a survivor.

"I promised you, Mashu." I put my hand in Lord Camelot and feel the cold metal in my palm. "I promised you that I would live, and if I follow them, I will be putting my life in danger, the life that you fought so hard to protect."

…

However…

If that Siren could really send me to Chaldea, if I could see you just one last time…I…I…

"…I am really sorry, Mashu."

Cursing myself, I decided to follow them.

* * *

Sheffield tried with all to her might to get away from the Siren that currently was crushing her neck, but it was useless; she was forcefully dragged by her.

"This Siren…." Sheffield thought, feeling overwhelmed.

Not only her strength far surpassed the ones she had faced before, there was also something different in this one...something that the others Siren lacked.

She couldn't exactly put it into words, there was something just off about her.

Sheffield was no expert in Siren's psychology, neither she had battled and destroyed that many of them, that honor corresponded to Belfast, but she was sure that the Sirens were supposed to be no more than mere killing machines. Even the humanoid ones hardly ever show any emotion or feelings, in that regard, they were no different from the ships they commanded.

But this one...was humming.

From the moment she took her by the neck, the Siren didn't stop humming for even a second, as if she was enjoying herself.

As if she truly could feel emotions.

"Hmmm, that looks like a good place." The Siren suddenly spoke. "We can settle things there." And then, Sheffield was unceremoniously thrown again.

This time, however, she managed to control her fall and with a mid-air spin, her feet safely landed on the soft grass.

A quick look revealed that she had landed on a field, a bit far from the residential area they previously were. There weren't a lot of structures close by, only a couple of metal bars forming rectangular arcs a few meters away from her.

The Siren landed in front of her just a few seconds later.

"What do you think? Nobody will interrupt us here."

"You went this far just to hide our encounter." Sheffield immediately understood the Siren intent. "It seems my intervention wasn't necessary, you lot want to remain hidden as much as us."

"Hey, don't take me wrong, it would be fun to see the reaction of the humans." She shrugged. "But orders are orders."

"Orders?"

"You see, I was not supposed to meet humans yet, but that guy seemed interesting so I…." Purifier suddenly stopped talking, looking a bit worried. "Yikes, I think I said too much. Now Empress is going to be mad at me."

"Empress?"

"She is our lea-" She stopped again. "Hey, you are trying to confuse me so that I continue talking, aren't you!?"

"Oh? Did you realize? I must have underestimated your intellect, my apologies." Sheffield made a small reverence.

"How unpleasant…" Purifier release a resigned sigh, but then, a smile was suddenly drawn on her face. "But you were designed like that, so it can't be helped, right?

That claim took Sheffield by surprise.

"What do you know about us?"

"Ah! That's not working a second time! If you want to know then you will have to play with me." She opened her arms and dozens of black drones began to appear around her. "Let's-"

She couldn't finish.

Most of the drones weren't fully materialized when Sheffield answered by making her own weapons appear and without another word, she pressed the triggers.

One by one the drones were shot down, even if some managed to escape the initial bullet barrage and shot her, she easily dodged and destroyed them all.

In no time, it was clear that the drones were no match for her.

"Huh…guess that doesn't work on you." Purifier said, a bit shocked that her drones were destroyed in seconds. "Alright then." She made her knuckles crack. "Let's play in a more direct way, shall we?"

* * *

Marcia Haydes, the Commander of the so-called "Prototype Fleet" was currently having the worst headache of her life.

The wait was killing her.

I had been an hour or so since prototype 05 "Sheffield" has contacted the base; she really wanted to attribute that to Sheffield's lack of subordination, but one part of her couldn't help but think that something had gone wrong, very wrong.

And now in her private office, where she thought she could spend some time away from the chaos that was the command room, her doubts were only getting worst.

Was sending Sheffield the correct choice even if she knew her loyalty was the lowest between all the prototypes?

She would have preferred to send Belfast rather than her, but she couldn't simply let her fight in a city, sending her to the sea was risky enough already.

The rest of them weren't a choice either, prototype 02 "The Queen" refused to fight because apparently "That's the duty of the maids", prototype 03 won't abandon said Queen side for anything and prototype 04 apparently wasn't good at fighting, despite being a living weapon.

She really didn't have another choice but…what if Sheffield's dislike of humans had reached a point that she abandoned them? What would happen then with the rest of the prototypes? Would they follow her? Would they join the Sirens in their war against humanity?

And more importantly, would humanity be prepared to face yet another threat that clearly surpassed them in everything?

"Would you like some tea, Commander?" Said one of those very beings. In her hands, capable of smashing a tank with ease, was a silver tray with a teapot and a steaming cup.

"What I want, Belfast, is hearing news from Sheffield." The commander answered with an irritated tone.

"I am afraid I haven't heard anything from her yet. As an apology, please accept this tea." The maid didn't seem to mind her tone at all, in fact, she was adamant about offering the cup to her.

Marcia deeply sighed and finally accepted the drink.

"Thanks, I guess." She brought the cup to her mouth, but stopped just before drinking as familiar scent reached her nose."Bergamot? We don't have….no, we don't actually have any kind of tea in the base? Where did you get this?"

"A maid had to be prepared for everything." She answered as if it was obvious.

"...You didn't let anyone see you, don't you?"

Belfast just responded with a smile.

"…"

Marcia knew better than to question Belfast actions, so she decided to just enjoy her Earl Grey.

"Hmmm, it's good."

"I am glad." Belfast said, happily. "Nothing fills me with more happiness than to hear than from you, Commander."

"…"

Marcia still didn't know how to feel about the maid.

Belfast, the first prototype and, in the higher-ups' opinion, the only successful one from the Electromagnetic Cube Project. A woman who despite being capable of shooting down helicopters alone, had decided to dress as a maid and serve her.

"Why?" That was the question that didn't leave the commander's mind. "Why does she act so submissive if she can kill us all, and escape from the base?"

She was so friendly with her, so loyal...despite the fact it was her, the Commander, that was pretty much locking them in that hellhole to use them as weapons.

Those thoughts were the only thing that kept Marcia for actually trusting Belfast. Maybe it was a consequence of being a soldier, the constant and permanent mistrust.

"Is something the matter, Commander? You have been looking at me for quite some time without saying anything."

She didn't realize it.

"Sorry." She immediately looked away and tried to change the topic "I was thinking how different you are from Sheffield." She lied.

"Ah, my apologizes for Sheffield's behavior, she is still unaccustomed to humans, so her service may not be the best."

"Don't apologize on her behave. I understand that we didn't exactly treat your kind...in the best manner."The Commander said, while they were alone, she could be as diplomatic as she wanted. "But we have one enemy in common, so I hope we can continue working together."

"Humans created us, Marcia. We are your weapons, so isn't it natural that we follow you?"

"…"

Again, Marcia couldn't understand the maid.

It just didn't make sense, why did it matter if they had created them or not, when they could destroy battalions of soldiers with no effort whatsoever?

She couldn't just shake the feeling that Belfast was hiding something behind that image of perfect loyalty.

Maybe it was her eyes, her calm silver eyes that never show worry or concern as if everything were going according to her will.

As if she was just waiting to make her move…

"Oh? Sheffield is talking to me."

Marcia suddenly snapped out of her thought.

"What is she saying!?"

Belfast didn't answer; instead, she brought a hand to her ear and focused on hearing.

"Understood." After a few nods, she finally looked at the Marcia. "Commander, Sheffield is about to release her rig."

"What!? We sent her precisely because we can't let any of you use cannons inside a city! What is-?"

"Commander." Belfast interrupted her. "She told me that if she doesn't use it, she will be destroyed."

* * *

"…Maybe I should have expected something like this."

Some time had passed since I started following the maid and the Siren. However, I failed to realize an important fact.

I had no idea where they went.

In retrospect, it should have been obvious. Purifier left the alley literally jumping on buildings and I didn't start to follow them immediately, it was only natural not being able to keep up with her, even with magecraft it would have been difficult.

"Hah, pathetic, I can't even follow them. Maybe it was presumptuous of me to think that I actually had a choice in all this."

Things never go the way I want when it comes to superhuman beings. It was the same back in Chaldea, I was constantly getting dragged by my Servant antics.

Fishing all day with Cu Chulainn, serving as a taster in a cooking competition between Tamamo, Emiya, and Boudica, escaping with Kintoki from an enraged Raikou, putting up with Hans's ramblings about a certain woman, training until almost dying with Leonidas…

A smile appeared on my face.

Even if did get dragged by them, I never disliked it. The moments I spent with them were still my most fond memories.

I was deep in those memories when I noticed something upon looking at my surroundings; I didn't know where I was. I had lived in this city for a few years now, but the place I was currently in was completely alien to me.

In other words, I was lost.

"Just what I needed…" Cursing internally, I began searching for a signpost or anything that gave an idea of where I was, I couldn't have strayed that much of my neighborhood.

It didn't help that the night seemed to have become even darker; no lights were coming from the multiple houses beside me and the moon was nowhere to be found. Only the dim light of a few lampposts illuminated my path.

…

…

…

It was quite.

Almost too quiet, there wasn't even the sound of cars or motorcycles passing by.

…

…

...

And maybe it was my imagination, but I could almost swear that the air was thicker, more difficult to breathe even.

…

…

…

The lampposts path seemed to extend for miles and no matter how much I walked, I felt that I was getting further and further away from my destiny. I was starting to wonder if I actually would find something when I saw it.

A person in the distance, walking ahead of me.

They were a bit too far so I couldn't know if they were a woman or a man, all I could see was their pure white clothes, which seemed to heavy contrast with the darkness of the night, making their figure glow.

I was about to approach them, but then I realized that I was some guy holding a shield as tall as him, wandering in the middle of the night, and about to approach a person who is alone. Maybe I shouldn't have called both the maid and the Siren strange when I am in fact not the most normal person.

However, while I was debating that in my mind, the person suddenly stopped walking and turned back at me.

They were still too far away, so I couldn't distinguish their features but…something was wrong. I had assumed that they were wearing a white cape over their head or something, but nothing had changed now that they were facing me. Maybe the distance was playing tricks on me, but all I could see was a figure that vaguely resembled a person, but white, not even a trace of another color, it was completely and utterly white.

Then they started walking towards me.

"…!"

I had been trying to deny it, but I no longer could hide my anxiety. Neither this "person" nor this situation was normal, but as I raised Lord Camelot to defend myself, the lights of the lampposts began to fickle.

"Shit!"

The lights alternated between on and off, until it finally died, leaving me in the oppressive darkness.

I looked around frantically, as my eyes could see only black. No matter how much I moved my arms, I found nothing around me. It was as if the whole world has just disappeared and the only one that remained was me, alone in that sea of nothingness.

Time flowed weirdly; I couldn't recall how much I was lost in the darkness until the lights went on again.

And I saw her.

The white person was just in front of me, and now I could see her clearly.

She was without a doubt, a woman. Her entire body, except for the head, was completely hidden by a long white cape. Her hair, as white as her attire, was rather short, but long enough to cover her facial features apart from her mouth. To complete her ghostly appearance, all the skin that wasn't being hidden by either the hair or the cape was a colorless pale, like snow, like a sheet of paper…like death itself.

I wanted to run, my entire body ordered me to run from her but I couldn't… It was as if I was frozen in the place, unable to do anything besides looking at her.

The ghostly woman spoke, but no words came from her mouth. Then, from inside her cloak, came a hand as pale as the rest of her body and it moved slowly until it pointed to a certain direction in the city.

"Are you telling me…to go there?"

She didn't answer, instead, she hid her arm inside her attire once again, and turned back to leave.

"No…"

I didn't understand what had happened, but for some reason, I didn't want her to leave. My legs moved on their own, finally starting to work again, as I approached her.

"W-wait…! Don't go!" I put a hand on her shoulder.

She stopped and turned back to see me again.

A single eye peeked between her tufts of white hair, it wasn't white as the rest of her appearance but blue, blue as the darkened sky on a rainy day, blue as the depth of the ocean, a dark lifeless blue. Her gaze was devoid of light, as if any trace of life was taken away from it, leaving only an empty shell.

But what took my breath away wasn't just that, it was her face.

Her face was…she was…

"Mashu."

And then the lights died again.

* * *

After some time, I finally managed to find them. They were in a football fiend a couple of kilometers away from my apartment. I remembered that some kids from the school used to come there to play.

The strident sound of metal welcomed me, and the first thing I saw was Purifier, the Siren. She was standing proudly in front of the maid, her entire body was I was stained with small drops of blood. Meanwhile, the maid was desperately trying not to fall, her body full of wounds and her clothes torn.

"Oh?" Purifier looked back at me. "Fujimaru Ritsuka? Perfect timing!"

The maid used this opening to distance herself from the Siren. Then, a bright light began to cover her, taking some kind form around her.

Whatever she was trying to do, the heavy kick that Purifier quickly connected to her temple prevented her from completing it; that light disappeared as the defeated maid fell on the grass.

"There, that should make you relax for a bit."

The maid no longer moved, I was unsure if she was still alive.

"…"

That could be my fate if I don't play my cards right. Purifier wants information, and I want her ability to move between worlds, I have to convince her that she would rather get that information from me and not form my lifeless body.

"Fujimaru!"

"…!"

I almost had a heart attack, her face was already a few centimeters from mine, she got so close without me realizing!

"I am glad you came to play but…How did you know I was here? I was sure I got pretty far away from that alley."

"Eh…? How…?"

Good question, how did I know they were here? The moment I began to follow them, this fiend just naturally came to my mind.

"….a hunch, perhaps."

"A hunch…?" She looked at me weirdly. "Well, whatever, what's important is that you are here and we can continue…" She moved her right hand to touch my face, the black gloves she was wearing didn't hide the bloodstains on them.

I instinctively stepped back.

"You haven't answered me, though. Can you actually take to another world?"

She smiled.

"But of course, that's like a walk in the park for us. You just have to do me a little favor."

Yes, this is my opportunity.

"I'll tell you whatever you want to know, just a-"

"Kill her." she pointed at the fallen maid.

"Huh?"

"You should be able to, right? Using that "energy."

"…"

"It would be the perfect experiment, more useful than anything you can tell me." She walked around me. "Not only I can test if that energy of yours is capable of hurting us ships, but it also would prove your loyalty to us."

"Wait…that's…"

"Kill her." She repeated, finally put her hands on my face, the crimson drops on her school uniform quickly stained my clothes, the blood on her hands was cold. "And I assure you that you will be able to see Mashu again."

**END OF CHAPTER 3**


	4. Enemy of my Enemy

I could hear the sound of my heart pumping blood like crazy in my chest.

"Ah…ah…ah…"

I felt breathless; no matter how much I tried, I couldn't seem to bring oxygen to my lungs.

My vision was blurred, and I had difficulty seeing my surroundings. As I looked down, I could see my hands, they were trembling, cold. Down below, besides my feet, was a sword.

Both of them were completely covered in blood, cold red blood.

But it was not my blood.

"Ah…ah…"

My eyes moved to the fallen man, just a few meters in front of me. The man had long since stopped moving, his mouth that previously had released a series of unintelligible groans went utterly silent. His eyes that had stared at me with rage now remained open, the light of his pupils lost.

"Ah..."

He was no longer there, he was dead.

"Why…?

He was a soldier, and like most of the French forces, he was clad in steel armor, adorned with a blue tabard.

So why? Why were my hands covered in blood, his blood? Why was the sword at my feet covered with that very same blood? I was only trying to fend him off, that's the only reason I took the sword, I wasn't supposed to actually use it…I…I didn't want to….

"Senpai!" A voice called for me; it was the girl that had become my Servant. A terrified expression crossed her face.

"Mashu…What have I done…?"

She rapidly approached me and surrounded myself with her arm.

"Senpai I…I am sorry! I was too late!" She cried. "If only I had been at your side, you wouldn't have had to…."

She continued talking, but I could no longer hear her. All I could think about was the man I just killed, and how his blood stained my hands.

* * *

"Get away from me!" I violently shook the Siren off me, but it was too late; my clothes were already stained with the maid's blood.

"Oh? What's wrong? Is that too much physical contact for you?"

"Just… don't act like we are close, I haven't agreed on anything yet." I came up with an excuse as I quickly hide my hands behind my back.

After all these years, they still tremble…

"Come on, you are the only human that survived more than 10 minutes after talking with me." She started to scrub her hands on her shorts, dyeing her attire even redder. "In my view, you have been my friend all your life."

"Friends? Do you usually try to kill all your friends?"

She gave a smug smile.

"Sometimes."

"Then I am afraid we don't share the same opinion."

"Ah, but you soon will." She declared. "When the Creator's plan gets in motion, I assure you will want to be with us rather than against us."

"The Creator?" I was sure I had heard that name before, how did they fit into all of this?

"That's why I am willing to take you under my wing." She ignored me and continued talking. "I'll even take you out for a walk in whatever world you like. The only thing you have to do is kill that maid for me, simple, right?"

My eyes instinctively went to the bloody figure of the maid.

"…"

Disregarding the fact that I didn't enjoy the idea of having to kill that woman, there was something fundamentally wrong with what Purifier was proposing.

"I think you misunderstood me, I am not interested in taking part in this plan of yours."

"Eh?" She looked me with a confused face, as if not understanding what I was trying to say.

"I'll tell you what you want to know…" A pause, my next words were painful. "I'll even give you this shield if you want to study it or whatever, but if you make me kill her, I…"

I don't know if I can. Killing someone who can't defend themselves is just…

No.

Stop.

Why am I thinking about this? This is not my fight, my fight is already over.

I don't need to do it again.

Never again.

"Just…just allow me to travel to a certain world." I practically begged." And then I promise, with my life, that I will remain there and never bother your kind again."

Purifier continued to stare me weirdly until she suddenly burst out laughing.

That ticked me off a bit.

"What's so funny?"

"Hahahaha it's just…" She couldn't even talk properly. "It's just that I think you are the one that didn't understand."

"Hey, I am being serious, I-"

Purifier suddenly appeared in front of me and put a finger in my lips.

"I like you."

"….!"

"I was not lying when I said I consider you a friend, you see. The rest of the Sirens aren't the most cordial beings. Alpha only likes to mess with the pawn's minds, and Beta is too rough with the humans and they die too quickly, so it's usually pretty boring to hang around them."

If that what she considers "boring" then I really don't want to know her definition of "exciting."

"You, on the other hand, are more interesting."She said and finally took her hand off my mouth, but started poking my chest instead. "Despite being a human, you have managed to surprise me more than I expected."

I tried to step back, but she followed me.

"First, a shield capable of withstanding attacks that would destroy human battleships with a single hit, then a mysterious energy that we have no knowledge about."

She moved her face close to mine; her golden eyes meet my gaze.

"I kind of want to see what other surprises you have stored for me."

No…I don't like where this is going, she's getting the wrong idea.

"You are expecting too much of me, Purifier, I am not like all of you."

The shield on my arm isn't mine, and I leave much to be desired as a magus. Even when I was a Master of Chaldea, there were times when I thought it was too much for someone like me.

What allowed me to continue despite that were them, my Servants…my friends. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here right now.

But without then I am…

"I am just a normal perso-!"

I couldn't finish, as I was suddenly grabbed me by the neck.

"Didn't I say that I would cut one of your limbs if you lied to me? Are you trying to test me, Fujimaru Ritsuka?"

"S-stop." With just one hand, she had wholly neutralized me; her grip was slowly depriving me of air.

"You aren't just a normal person or even a normal human. I see it in your eyes; you have seen things, experienced things that no normal human would ever experience."

"Purifier…!" For the first time since the night started, I dropped Lord Camelot, as I desperately tried to move her hand away, but it was useless, her grip was too secure.

"You are different from the rest." Her golden eyes glowed with a mad brightness. "Special, I dare say…"

She really was choking me. If she didn't let me go, I would…

"That's why I won't let you go just yet."

Suddenly, she released me, and I fell on my knees while desperately breathing for air.

"Taking you out of the board this early would just make this game a lot of less exciting."

"Ah…ah…I…." It was difficult to speak. "I am not…"

"Yes, you are." She kneeled in front of me so that I could see her face. "You won't get anywhere pretending this has nothing to do with you, you were already part of this game the moment you first talked to me."

"No! I…!"

She suddenly took both my hands with her own.

"After all."She made a small chuckle as she released them. "Your hands are already dirtied, aren't they?"

I lowered my gaze and looked at my trembling hands. They were red, the maid's blood was on my hands.

No…not again…why is this happening again? My hands…the maid's blood….it wasn't me.

This time, it's wasn't me.

"All that is left is for you to pick a side. Frankly, I don't care which one you choose, it would certainly be interesting if you choose us, but who knows? Maybe destroying all things you care about would be even more entertaining. You decide how we are going to play this game, Fujimaru Ritsuka."

She then moved her mouth close to my ear and whispered.

"Just remember." Her breath was frozen. "Mashu is waiting."

"...!"

She stood up; finally putting some distance between us, her golden eyes observed me, expectantly for an answer.

"You…" I held my hands together, trying to stop them from trembling. "You are sick."

Her smile didn't leave her face for even a second.

"Only by human's standards."

Damn you….damn you! I am an idiot, I am a colossal idiot. I should have known that things wouldn't be as simple as exchanging information.

This situation was only my fault, because I wanted to believe that there was a way to see Mashu again. I would have done anything to see her again.

But at what cost? Would Mashu be happy if I see her for a moment, only to be dragged away to a fight I know nothing about?

To a fight that will force to me kill once again?

She would be horrified.

I don't want to see her looking me like that, not again.

But what would happen if I don't side with these Sirens? Will they consider me their enemies? Will they try to kill me?

My eyes moved to the cause of all this.

I can barely keep up with Purifier, and she is obviously not trying to kill me. If she was serious, then I would undoubtedly lose my life.

No matter what I choose, I was trapped in this game.

And I had already lost.

…

…

…

I breathed deeply.

"I understand." I said, defeated. "I will do it."

"Good good! You made the correct choice." She started patting me on the back repeatedly. "Go for it then, it's all yours."

Yes, I will do it.

Since I have already lost, the only thing I can do now is to play this game.

* * *

Sheffield slowly opened her eyes.

Her body hurt a lot. It was actually the first time she got beaten to the point of losing consciousness.

She had underestimated her opponent; she should have released her rig from the start….No, maybe even with her rig, the fight would have been difficult. That Siren was on another level entirely.

As she tried to stand up, she realized she couldn't. No matter how much she tried, her body was too weakened.

"Ahh…Belfast? Can you hear me?" She said, trying to reach Belfast with the mental link, but nobody answered. Maybe she didn't have enough energy to establish it, or something in her body was so broken that she was incapable of it

She began to crawl with some difficulty. Even if it was painful, she couldn't just remain there. She had to warn the Royal Navy about the existence of that Siren; she wasn't someone to be underestimated, all of them would be necessary to face her.

However, a sound reached her ears.

Steps, someone was slowly coming closer.

The moment she moved her head to see who it was, she found the same man that was with that Siren before. He was walking in her direction, still carrying that massive cross-shaped shield with him.

The traitor.

Honestly speaking, it didn't surprise her that much that some humans may betray them. It was only natural; after all, humans can't help but destroy things and kill each other. That's what she had learned in those months in the lab. She was prepared to deal with them eventually.

But a human allying himself with the Sirens was another matter entirely. It wasn't just the normal human foolishness; it was a betrayal to the entire human race and a declaration of war to humanity. In her eyes, that human may as well had rejected his humanity.

In other words, she didn't have any obligation to protect him, as that man was no longer human.

That's why she didn't have a doubt in her mind. She had to kill him alongside the Siren, consequences be damned.

Unfortunately, she wasn't strong enough and failed.

But there was someone who was.

"Belfast, answer me."

Even if she tried to get away, she knew it was impossible to escape in her state. So at least she wanted to make her know that a human was working with the Sirens. That there was a high possibility of a Human-Siren alliance existing somewhere, waiting in the shadows to make their move.

The man was getting closer and closer as she noticed something, some kind of green lines ran down both his feet and arms. They glowed with a strangely bright, and sometimes they release small sparks as if electricity ran through them. She didn't remember having seen something like that before.

"That couldn't possibly be good." Sheffield thought.

She would typically disregard a human as a non-threat, but having seen firsthand how he blocked the attacks of those drones, she couldn't be sure. Who knows how contact with the Sirens had changed him.

Only a couple of meters separated her from the man.

It didn't matter if she was destroyed there, if she was able to contact her, Belfast would be able to do something.

She would trump where she failed, as she always does.

"Belfast…"

But her voice couldn't reach her after all; her attempts to reach Belfast were in vain.

She was alone.

The man now towered before her, his blue eyes observed her carefully.

"So, you were really still alive."

Sheffield couldn't fight back, she didn't have enough energy to materialize even one of her guns. So she just stared back, her gaze full of defiance.

"Don't look at me as if I were the worst thing in existence, you tried to kill me in cold blood. Your state right now is reversible, but what you tried to do me wasn't."

"A shame I failed, it would have been great not having to see your face again." She taunted him.

"You...Why do you hate me that much? I don't even know you."

"Fascinating." Sheffield continued. "To think you will even feign ignorance when you know too well what means to ally yourself with a Siren, you are truly quite something, pest."

"No, as a matter of fact, I have literally no idea. This morning I was teaching kids about the Roman Empire, and now I am suddenly getting attacked by drones, schoolgirls, and maids without getting any explanation." He breathed deeply. "Give me a break, will you?"

Kids? Roman Empire? Sheffield didn't understand what he was trying to say. To begin with, why was he talking to her if she was getting killed? Must be a tactic to confuse her, she thought.

"…You talk too much, is your plan killing me from boredom? If you are going to do it, at least do it properly."

She was prepared for this day, the only thing she regretted was not being more useful to the Royal Navy before her death.

He released another deep breath, looking tired.

"I am not killing anyone today, much less you."

"Eh..?" Sheffield sure wasn't expecting that answer.

"In fact, I need you."

"Eh!?" Sheffield really wasn't expecting that answer. If the human wanted to confuse her, then he had succeeded.

"Shhhh. Quite, she'll hear us."

"I-I am not sure what are you trying to do, but you won't fool-"

"Shut up." He interrupted her. "I hate this as much as you, believe me, I can't just brush it off what you tried to do. However, I can't change the fact that I need your help against that Siren."

"…I feel insulted. Do you expect me to believe such obvious deception? Why would you betray your allies?"

"First of all, we aren't allies, I thought they could help me with something, but they can't, and now I am trapped in this fight. Second, if we don't cooperate, we are going to die, both of us."

"I would gladly die before working with a traitor."

"How many times should I-?" He stopped, realizing he wasn't going anywhere. "Look, I really want to explain the situation, but she is watching us right now, so excuse me."

"What do you-"

Suddenly, he raised his arm and, with a tremendous force, he hit the ground just beside her head.

The earth broke, an enormous hole was formed around them, and the land just next to his fist appeared to be pulverized.

"That strength…"

"That should buy us some time." Immediately afterward, he freed his other hand of the shield and moved it towards the maid. "We don't stand a chance against her on our own, but together maybe…we can manage to live long to see tomorrow, and you know what? That's all I want right now."

He put his hand on her, and a green light began to shine.

Sheffield didn't understand at first until something began to change inside her. The pain of her wounds was slowly disappearing; her muscle could move again a little, and her sense began to clear.

For the first time since she was created, Sheffield was speechless, and even if she wasn't, she wouldn't know where to start.

"This is just the most basic healing."He commented while using the shield to cover the light. "I am not even sure if it's going to works on the likes of you, but it's worth the try."

Sheffield wanted to say something, to ask how that he was doing it, how he was healing her only with his bare hands, without any equipment like in the lab.

"Your wounds are closing. It seems like even a mediocre magus like me can do this much."

She had estimated that this amount of damage would take weeks to heal, maybe months, but her wounds were disappearing in mere seconds.

Just who was that man? No, what was he?

After a couple of minutes, the light finally vanished.

"Alright, hopefully, this should be enough. Can you move?"

"Yes…" She couldn't say more as she was still in shock.

"Good." He continued. "As for the Siren, I can block her attack one time, probably two if she gets cocky. Once she is fixed on me, you should be able to attack her by surprise."

"I already tried that." She finally could answer as she remembered her battle with her."That won't kill her."

"I am not asking for that. We just need time to stop her enough to let us escape."

"That won't work either, she is faster than either of us. She'll catch us in no time."

"That's why we'll be running in opposite directions." He continued explaining his plan. "Once she starts chasing one, the other should be able to gain enough distance to be safe."

"But then one of us would die either way, and we can't know who she will go for first. What an awful plan."

She made no comment about how a human wouldn't be able to escape from a Siren even with an advantage, as she was starting to doubt the man's status as a human.

"Better than no plan at all." He took his shield again."I know, it's a gamble, but at least one of us will survive."

He was about to stand up when Sheffield stopped him.

"I didn't say anything about helping you. You wasted your efforts."

"Then we are going to die. She is going to kill you now, and I may live a bit longer, but she will eventually come for me. As I am not on her "side", I will face your same fate, sooner or later."

"…"

"Just think what's more important. To die here or to have at least a small chance to survive. The decision is yours."

Sheffield wanted to argue but couldn't, as the man stood up and turned around to face someone else.

The Siren was watching them with a grave expression.

He immediately stood between her and the Siren, putting his shield in front of him. As if he was trying to protect her.

Sheffield still didn't understand the man or his motives, she didn't even know if he was human. But she could be sure of one thing: she really disliked him, more than any other human she had come across.

* * *

"Oh? That was a good punch, but it seems you missed her head." Purifier stared at me. "I'll let you try again."

She already knows, without a doubt.

"I won't do it, Purifier."

"…So you didn't want to see Mashu that much after all, huh?" She frowned, clearly not amused. "Is that the extent of your ambition? You would stop just to spare someone you don't even know?"

"You don't understand. I wouldn't be able to face Mashu if I did this."I clenched fist. "I want to see her again, I want to talk to her, laugh with her but… I wouldn't be able to do that knowing what I did." I looked at her in the eyes. "Or who I helped."

"Ah, you hurt me, Fujimaru Ritsuka." She feigned a pained expression. "Are you actually rejecting me? I thought we were friends!"

"I am still not sure what you really want, but your words, your actions...everything tells me that following you would lead me to a path I am not willing to follow. If that means that I am not on your "side" then so be it. "

I bring the shield in front of me, adopting a defensive position.

She looked at me with a dull expression, probably angry that I ignored her antics.

"Seems like you chose the other side of the board."

"You forced me to."

"Alright, if that's how it's going to be...we'll be opponents." She said, somewhat disappointed. "The least I expect is a good fight, so don't die too quickly." She began to approach."Now, I'll be nice and let you go, you have until I finish killing that maid."

This…! This could be my chance to escape, even if she was fast, with my reinforcement I should be able to run until she couldn't find me.

However, leaving after I said all that to the maid would be no different from killing her myself.

And as I said, I am not killing anyone today.

I stood in Purifier's way, not allowing her to reach the maid.

"You are underestimating me."

"Huh?"

"Didn't you say we are opponents now?" I began to taunt her. "And you're just going to let me leave?"

I am presuming that I understood Purifier's character correctly. If this fails, the whole plan fails.

"…I am not sure what you are trying to do." Her tone was serious. "But if you play with fire, you are going to get burned, Fujimaru Ritsuka."

"Play? that's exactly what I want."

"…?"

"Let's play a game, Purifier."

**END OF CHAPTER 4**


	5. A Throne of Oil and Steel

"A game?" Purifier repeated, doubtful. "You want to play a game with me?"

If I understood her correctly, she is someone who likes challenges. There is no way she would reject something that makes the fight more interesting.

"Yes."

Or at least I was counting on that.

"Heh." Her mouth contorted into a smile as she chuckles. "What do you have in mind?"

As expected, she took the bait.

"It's simple, really; I'll grant you one hit." I put my other hand on top of Lord Camelot. "Hit me as hard as you can, I'll block it."

"Oh? So a game of strength, pretty straightforward, but are you sure about it?" She began to look at her surroundings. "If I use my strongest attack, this city may disappear."

...that would be disastrous.

I don't doubt that she is capable of that, but I should keep pushing. If she really wanted to destroy the city, she would have done it already.

"Doesn't matter." I did my best to sound relaxed. "Whatever you throw at me, this shield will block it."

"Is that so?" She was amused. "Weren't you saying before that you consider yourself just a normal human? Where is that sudden confidence coming from?"

Now it was my turn to smile.

"You wouldn't understand."

"Eh?"

"This is shield isn't just a piece of equipment; it's much more than that. This shield is the crystallization of Mashu Kirielight's feelings. It's her wish to protect her friends and loved ones. It's her desire to protect everyone before anything…even before her own life."

Initially, Lord Camelot belonged to Galahad, the Servant that fused with Mashu's body, and one of the Knights of the Round Table. When spoken its true name, it recreates those fabled white walls that shielded castle Camelot. That's how it was originally used by Mashu.

In my hands, however, it should have been nothing more than a sturdy shield, a Noble Phantasm that lost its user, a useless weapon.

Despite that, this shield followed me to this world after the last battle, and never abandoned me since then. It became a symbol of her to me, a reminder of her sacrifice.

I am sorry, Galahad, but I can't just see you as the owner of this shield anymore. The only one I will recognize is Mashu Kyrielight.

"That's why I know, no matter what you do, this shield will never break."

"You really trust that shield a lot, don't you? I wonder if that trust is properly placed."

"I would bet my life on that."

"You are certainly doing that, asking me to use my strongest attack….fufufu." She happily laughed, apparently finding the situation very funny. "Alright, let's do it then, but I can't guarantee I won't kill you by accident."

"Wait, since I am betting my life, it would be only natural that you bet something too."

"You want something of me, Fujimaru Ritsuka? Maybe you still want that ticket to the other world where your girlfriend is alive?"

"My girlf-…you…!"

Stop. Control yourself, Ritsuka. She is trying to provoke you, don't lose your temper.

"No, I don't. In fact, I don't want anything to do with you." I managed to stay focused. "If I block your attack, then you will leave me alone forever."

Obviously, I didn't actually believe that she would fulfill that kind of bet, but I had to pretend that the outcome of this game was vital to me.

"Ehhhh!? But I would lose you either way!"

".L-lose me? What are you talking about?"

"I will lose my precious friend."

"That again?" I was a bit taken aback. "We aren't friends, you said it, we are on opposites side now! What's wrong with you?"

"That doesn't mean we can get along, though."

Silence.

Words couldn't express my disbelievement.

"Just...what is this for you? Are you actually fighting for something, or is everything just a game for you?"

"Well, I think I cared at some point about the Creator's plan, but you see…once you do the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again, you began to stop caring." Her smile lost its usual cheerfulness, and only an indifferent expression remained. "I think I stopped caring around the 5.785.147th time? Maybe one million more give or take?

"You…How long have you been doing this….? No. How old are you?"

She smiled again.

" Why count at all? Age is irrelevant; it doesn't mean anything to us."

"…"

These Sirens …just what are they? Their nature is not magical, but they seemed to defile any kind of common sense, more than any mystery I had come across.

Will science surpass magecraft by such a large margin in the future? Or are their abilities born from something other than science and mystery?

"What? You expected me to be younger than you?" She gave me a smug smile. "Are you disappointed, Fujimaru Ritsuka? You only like them young?

"…"

I feel how a headache was starting to assault my mind. No matter the topic, I always found myself completely lost for words when talking to this being.

Ah, I am so tired of this.

"Do you accept the bet or not?" I tried to get us back to the matter at hand.

"Yeah sure, but let's change the rules a bit. If I manage to break that shield without killing you, then I will take you with me to the winning side."

"Winning side? I thought you said you didn't care which side I was."

"Nothing is set in stone yet. You are still free to join us if you want, Fujimaru Ritsuka."

"Will you ask me to kill again?"

"It wouldn't be fun if I didn't."

"Then, my answer is still the same, I refuse."

"Well." She began to crack her fist. "Then, I only have to force you."

She is focused on me now, this should give the maid an opening to attack.

As I prepared to take the blow, I looked at Lord Camelot.

All I said about Mashu's feelings was true; I did believe that this shield was her symbol. However, I am not so idealistic to think that feelings alone would be enough to stop an attack that would typically kill me.

My confidence laid in facts, Lord Camelot resisted an attack that could incinerate humanity, and nothing that Purifier throws me could compete with that.

Or that's what I believed before knowing that she is apparently older than Goetia.

Just what kind of life could a creature that lives so long lead? Could it even be called life?

"Alright!" Purifier was pumped up as always. "Are you ready?"

"Come." I took my shield with force and planted my feet firmly on the land. "Hit me with all you got!"

"Don't mind if I do!"

She dashed towards me, her fist raised to punch the shield.

In less than a second, she was practically in front of me. I could see how her fist quickly connected to Lord Camelot.

A strident metallic sound was born from that clash, one that left me deaf for a couple of seconds. It was immediately followed by an expansive wave, similar to that of an explosion, that raised a curtain of dust, agitated the grass around us, and forced me back a few steps, even with my reinforcement.

No, it was thanks to that magic that I hadn't been thrown back a couple of kilometers.

She was strong, but not enough to surpass Lord Camelot, as I expected. However, it wasn't time to celebrate yet, as this was nothing more than a distraction.

"Maid! " I turned back as I shouted. "Do it n-"

My words died in my mouth, as I saw a disheartening sight. My eyes couldn't find the maid anywhere, she wasn't there.

"You…you ran away…?" Those idiotic words left my mouth. The maid has disappeared, leaving me alone to face inevitable death.

I was betrayed.

I could have run! I could have left you there to be killed, and you do this to me!? Rage invaded my body as I regretted my decision to trust her.

However, I couldn't let myself be consumed in rage, so I redirected that anger to the Siren in front of me, who hadn't moved since she hit the shield. I had to move quickly and punch her with my other reinforced hand. Even if it wasn't enough to defeat her, I should be able to delay her a little before I try my escape.

But as I turned around to hit her, I noticed something.

Purifier, the ever so crazy Siren, wore an expression of complete surprise. Her golden eyes were opened as plates, and her mouth was hanging a bit open.

It was so strange seeing her so shocked that I couldn't help but look at what she was watching with such awe.

And then I saw it, her hand, the one that was still touching the shield, was completely drenched in red blood. The black glove that previously covered it was destroyed and small drops of blood were quickly dripping off her closed fist, dirtying the shield as her entire right arm was trembling.

Even if I knew her attack would be ineffective, I never thought that the backlash would do some much damage to her arm. She must have used a lot of force.

"You…." Her voice, like a whisper, made me look back at her face. "…hurt me."

Her eyes meet mine, her gaze was one of disbelief as if everything she thought she knew was a lie.

"You…hurt me." She repeated. "A human…hurt me."

She lowered her face.

"Ah…ah….ah…" Her breath was agitated, she really didn't seem okay.

Did I just…break her spirit? Was being hurt by a human too much for her?"

"Ah…ah…ah…aha…ahaha…ahahahaha."

It started with a quiet laugh, almost a chuckle.

"Ahahaha…ahahah…ahahaahaha."

But it quickly escalated to a mad laugh.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Her laugh was so loud that I swear it could be heard from kilometers around. "A human hurt me! He destroyed my arm all by himself! I have never had so much fun in my life! HAHAHA HAHAHA!

Was she…happy? Happy that her arm ended up like that because of me…?

"Purifier…"

I thought that I understood her a bit, but I was wrong. How her mind worked was still a mystery to me.

"Hahahahahahah." After almost a minute, her laugh finally began to die down. "Hahahaha…you...haha...you…." She finally stopped laughing as she slowly began to raise her head. "You."

As I meet her eyes again, I could see the deep madness on them, the aura they gave off was impossible to describe, not even comparing with the Berserker Servants I had met I could find an equal.

Yes, the light on the eyes of Caligula was crazy, and there was never really a moment where I one hundred percent understand Spartacus. But that was different; there was something deep inside them, a desire or a passion that made them what they were.

I found nothing like that on those eyes, they were devoid of any reason or desire.

And the worst of it was that I couldn't stop staring at them. The more I looked into them, the more I felt like losing myself, as if I was being swallowed by the insanity in them.

A golden spiral of insanity.

* * *

The platform slowly descended towards the base. The crystal windows allowed me to appreciate the aquatic flora in all its glory for most of the travel. It's been a couple of minutes since all light has disappeared.

We must be finally reaching the depths.

"Will I finally meet him?" I asked my companion.

"Yeah, he has been waiting for a long time. Are you nervous?"

"A bit. It's a like meeting my father-in-law now that I think about it."

She laughed.

"I am sure he will like you. Especially if you gift him something like this."

Purifier toyed with the golden cup in her hands, inspecting it from top to bottom.

"Oi, don't play with that."

"Can it really grant wishes?"

"Yeah."

"Anything?"

"Anything."

"What about a more handsome boyfriend?

I chuckled.

"Sadly, that's not possible."

"I'll have to settle with you then."

Her lips met mine in a light kiss, which I responded with another, more passionate one.

"I love you." I said as I embraced her.

"And I love you too."

"And I hate both of you." A new voice joined the conversation, it seems like the elevator has finally reached its destination while we were talking.

Much like Purifier, the person who talked had golden eyes and long silver hair. Her attire was also a bit similar, apart from the black metallic boots and shorts of the same color she was wearing a black cut-out dress and in her head rested two black horn-like protuberances.

"You are just envious that I won, Beta." Purifier hugged my arm happily.

"Ah, Beta, good day." I made a small nod. "How were things going in our absence?"

Beta was clearly annoyed.

"Same as usual, we have already crushed most of the resistance, the ones who are left are not worth spending resource on."

"Still, underestimating them may be unwise. You should take Alpha with you and destroy them once for all, just in case."

"If you say so." The hostility in Beta's words couldn't be hidden. "Commander."

Without another word, she walked towards the elevator and disappeared as the door closed before her.

"I think she really hates me."

"She hates all humans, just give her time." Purifier tried to reassure me. "She can't ignore what we have accomplished with your help."

"Well, maybe her opinion will change after I meet him." I said, looking at the gigantic mechanical door in front of us.

"It's time, right?"

"Yeah, let's meet him." Purifier took my hand on hers. "Let's meet the Creator."

The door slowly began to rise, as a bright light illuminated the room.

* * *

"…!"

Suddenly, I felt like I was in control of my body again and immediately understood why, Purifier closed her eyes, that freed me from that...vision. I don't know how much time had passed since I lost myself in her eyes, but I felt like I spent more than a couple of minutes.

What I saw back then could wait, because what awaited me the moment I recover my consciousness was something I wasn't prepared for.

A cold but ultimately pleasant sensation touched my lips, followed by the soft feeling of lips meeting mines.

Her skin was like touching ice, it was so cold that it burned. It hurt at first, but as the seconds passed, my body somewhat got used to it, to the cold caress of the Siren.

It didn't last long, though; as soon as it started, it had already ended. It wasn't a furious or passionate kiss like one would expect of a being like Purifier. It was just a peck, almost too pure for someone like her.

Purifier separated her lips from mine, as she opened her eyes to look at me.

"You are the one. I found you."

I was once again speechless.

What was that? How did you do it? Why did you do it? Why did you show me that? Was that just an illusion or…?

I wanted to ask all that, but before I could even try, I saw the maid, a couple of meters behind Purifier. She was pointing at us not only with her regular guns but with a series of cannons that seems to grow from her back

"Move if you don't want to die."

"…!"

I hit the ground with force, and manage to put a reasonable distance between me and Purifier, who remained there even though she should have heard the maid. Instead, she turned back to see her.

"So that's where you we-"

Her words were silenced as the maid shot her multiple cannons.

Purifier rapidly disappeared under the bombardment that quickly filled the area with black smoke and dust and made the earth tremble.

I wasn't close enough to be affected by the explosions, but I hide behind Lord Camelot just in case the debris managed to reach me.

"Damn you maid, when I said "attack her," I didn't mean destroy one-quarter of the football field…."

Not that I argued about the results, Purifier was pretty much caught off guard, and if the bullets the maid used earlier were enough to hurt her, then even her shouldn't be able to remain unscratched after such bombardment.

"Pest." While I thought that a voice suddenly could be heard from behind me.

"Maid." I didn't need to turn back to know who it was. "I thought you had run away."

"I am not in the habit of running away from my problems." As she said that, I could feel something cylindrical being pushed into the back of my head. "And you won't be running either."

"…I thought I said I had nothing to do with that, Siren."

"Do you kiss people you have nothing to do with?"

"…"

I really wanted to explain the situation, but saying something like "I was hypnotized by her eyes so I didn't notice she was kissing me." sounded so lame in my head that I chose not to say anything.

"I am not sure what you are, but it's clear that something is going on with you and the Sirens. That's why you are coming with me."

"To where?"

"The Royal Navy headquarters, for interrogation."

"Are you going to shoot if I say no?"

"Without hesitation."

"Really?" I slowly turn back to see her. "Are you really going to shoot?"

She was a bit taken aback with my sudden bravado but didn't stop pointing her gun at me.

Now that I had a closer look at her, I noticed that her cannons were connected to something I could only describe as ship parts. I could distinguish something resembling a prow split in half, and the barrels themselves were similar to naval artillery.

"What makes you think that I can't exterminate you right now?

"The fact that you are talking to me. You didn't need a reason to shoot me before, so something must have changed."

"…"

"Besides, if you didn't care if I died or not, then you wouldn't have shouted such obvious warning before shooting at the Siren." I continued. "You need me alive, don't you?"

"…"

If looks could kill, then her stare would have killed me at least several times now.

"You are coming with me." She ordered again. "We need you to be alive, yes, but I still could-" Her words died on her mouth as the gun on her hand suddenly lost its form and disappeared."What? What's going- arrggh."

An expression of pain appeared on her face as she brought her hand to her head.

"Hey, are you alright?"

"Shut…up, I am…"

"You can't even talk, you are not alright."

"I'll bring you….to our…" She couldn't continue, the ship parts and cannons suddenly disappear from her body as she began to fall.

But before she could fall entirely, I manage to catch her.

"I told you that it was just basic healing, this was bound to happen if you fought seriously, you're exhausted."

While I held her, I noticed how small she felt. I had failed to see that she was indeed a bit shorter than me, probably because in all our interactions, I thought about her as superhuman being capable of kicking my ass in seconds if I let my guard down.

"Don't…touch…."

"Sorry, it was a reflex. Should have I let you dive face-first to the ground?"

"…ugh."

"Seems like you pushed yourself too hard using those cannons." She didn't even have the energy to retort. "Well, it works for me, now I don't have to deal with you."

"Pest…" She wanted to continue, but lost the last of her strength and passed out.

"I am afraid I am going nowhere with you, but you should be happy." I said as I gently lowered her body on the ground. "Your wish will come true, you'll never have to see my face again."

Now that the Siren was beaten and the maid is out of commission, it's my perfect chance to get away from this mess. Sadly, I didn't find a way to see Mashu again, but nothing good will come if I continue getting involved in this fight.

"Yeah, nothing good…"

That vision…could that be...

"You were right, Ritsuka."

A voice I knew too well stopped my thoughts and made my blood froze.

"I did underestimate you." The voice was coming from the black smoke that was rising from where the maid had shot her artillery.

Suddenly, the smoke was forcefully repelled by a strong current of air, revealing what was behind.

Between the scorched earth and the burning grass stood Purifier. Her ponytail got undone, and now her long silver hair fell untamed on her whole body. Most of her clothes were in tatters revealing how her entire body was covered in red burn wounds. Aside from that, one of her arms, the right one, hanged motionless from her shoulder.

But her state wasn't what took my breath away, it was the giant machine-like shark hovering behind her. It had a similar look to the drones she had used, with black color and futuristic yellow lines, but this one was a lot of bigger, even bigger than Purifier herself.

"It won't happen again." She smiled. "My friend."

"You…survived."

"It takes a lot more than this to take me out." She began to walk towards me. "I am not going anywhere now that I found you."

"Found me…?" I instinctively moved back.

Had she grown tired of playing around? Was that shark her actual power? I didn't want to find out.

I was determined to run away, but then I remembered the maid. She was still lying unconscious there.

If I left her there, she was going to get killed.

"You are still thinking about her even now?" Purifier noticed. "Why do you care so much about someone who tried to kill you?"

"…It's not about caring or not. I just don't like seeing people die in front of me."

"Is that so? Then what about me? Would you save me if I were about to die?"

"…"

I am not that naïve, I know that you can't just spare everyone.

In a war, refusing to kill the enemy only means letting your allies get hurt. If we had allowed Goetia to do as he wanted, then all humanity would have been wiped out.

Pacifism is just a fool's dream.

If didn't do what I did in the first singularity, then I wouldn't be here right now, I wouldn't be asking myself if it's okay to kill or not, in that regard, Purifier is no different from that French soldier.

And even knowing all that, there isn't a moment that his death doesn't weigh on me.

"Even if you have caused me troubles, I don't desire your death, Purifier."

Far from being content, she looked furious.

"That's the same mentality that led the others to their demise."

"The others…?"

"The other Commanders, they were the same as you, heroic, considerate, always thinking about their ship girls' welfare before their own." She frowned. "That's boring, so utterly boring. Imagine always facing the same kind idiot in charge." Her eyes went to the motionless body of the maid. "They were never capable of pulling the trigger when they should!"

The metallic shark dashed toward the maid, but stopped as I shielded her with Lord Camelot. It didn't have eyes, but I could fell how it stared at me, like a predator staring at its prey.

"And if you follow their steps, you will end up like them." Purifier made a sign with her hand, and the shark went back beside her."However, you aren't beyond saving yet." Her usual smile returned to her face. "I still can see that desire in your eyes, that dissatisfaction inside you, that feeling of uselessness when she died, the guilt still eats you up inside, right?."

"…!"

A series of images flashed through my mind.

A cheerful girl, a golden cup, a kiss.

"You wanted to go to another world to see Mashu again, but with our help, that won't even be necessary. You can just avoid her death altogether. "She extended her still functional hands towards me. "Come with us, Ritsuka. You only need to abandon that naïve idea of refusing to kill, only then, will be able to overcome that guilt and find true peace."

A mechanical door being open, a blinding light.

"No…that's…"

A red sky, piles of bodies, a throne made of machines and oil.

"You saw it too, right? That's the future."

Me, sitting on that very same throne.

"Your future."

"NO!"

I took the unconscious body of maid and ran from there, from that horrible image that seemed to have come from hell itself.

That can't possibly be the future, I am not like that.

That's not me.

* * *

Purifier observed how Ritsuka abandoned the place; his expression was one of tremendous fright.

She couldn't lie to herself, she was a bit unhappy seeing the only friend she had rejecting her like that. However, she also knew that this was a necessary step.

"Even if your time with them may be short, I sincerely hope you make them happy, Ritsuka. Just how you are going to do with me."

**END OF CHAPTER 5**


	6. Strings

I was running again.

It felt like I have done nothing but run the entire night, running from the drones, running from Purifier, running from those images in my mind. At some point, running had become my default answer for whatever problem I may find in my way.

Even now, all I am thinking of is leaving this country for good, before those Sirens could begin to make their move.

How pathetic.

…

However, this time was different, as I was not alone.

My eyes went to the still unconscious maid on my shoulder. I took her on a whim, only thinking that if I left her there, she would be killed.

Only when I had run for a couple of meters, did I realize my mistake. Running while holding Lord Camelot was one thing, balancing both the shield and her body was another matter entirely, especially at the speed my reinforced legs allowed me to reach.

As a result, my speed was significantly reduced. If Purifier had wanted, she could have easily caught us.

"But you are not even following us, right?" I stopped my legs, waiting for the crazy Siren to pop up of nowhere.

But the seconds passed, and she didn't.

I released a deep sigh.

"Has she finally grown tired of me…? No, that's unlikely; she seemed pretty serious this time."

"Come with us, Ritsuka." Her words still lingered in my head." You only need to abandon that naïve idea of refusing to kill, only then, will find true peace."

"True peace… was she talking about that vision? About that supposed future?"

I did look happy in it. Too happy in fact, considering I was giving a Grail to an unknown and possibly murderous entity.

"..."

I can't say that I am unhappy with my current life, being a teacher in England sure wasn't what I had in mind when I was younger, but it's not a bad life by any means.

However, I can't lie to myself.

I felt a lot of things when I first came to this world: confusion, fear, loneliness, sadness…most of these disappeared over time. But the only thing that didn't disappear was a certain feeling…it's a bit challenging to describe with words.

It's like when you know that something or someone should be there, but it's not. It's like I lacked something, something significant.

"Chaldea…"

Maybe that's the reason why my life feels incomplete, losing Chaldea left a big hole in my life. The memories of my time there keep coming back, no matter how many years had passed.

Is Purifier telling me that if I follow her, I will be able to forget about Chaldea…? I can't see that happening honestly.

Those visions had to be fake, something Purifier created to confuse me and make me join her side. That's the only explanation possible.

"Besides, I will never do something as ridiculous as sitting on a throne. What I was supposed to be, a king? Heh. I am already picturing Gilgamesh killing on the spot after seeing something like that."

Yeah, I should stop thinking about those things, and focus on more pressing matters.

"Like what the hell I am going to do with you." I said to the sleeping maid.

Obviously, I got no response.

* * *

"Ay…ay...it hurts!" cried Purifier as she touched her right hand in the hope of making it work again. "To think I would end up like this after a reconnaissance mission...ay!"

Now that she was alone, she could stop playing it cool, her right hand really hurt, to the point she was beginning to question why the Creator made her being able to feel pain in the first place.

Unfortunately for her, the damage was too extensive; she would need extensive care to move her hand again.

"She won't be happy with this…ay." She looked to the floating shark beside her. "I am sorry Phyrna, I think we won't be going home for a while. At least until the situation calms…Phryna?" She stopped, as she noticed how the golden lights of the shark started to flick. "Uh…Phryna? What's wrong?"

The machine made a strange sound, like a mix between television static and a cry, only to suddenly fall on the ground.

"Phryna!?" She approached the machine, which started to move erratically as if it was convulsing. "Come on, it's not time to play dead, we have to hurry before…"

"Purifier." A quiet voice reached her, but it wasn't coming from around her, it was more like the voice speak directly on her mind.

She slowly turned her head to find a ghostly figure. In front of her was a woman wearing a long white cape, the same color of her shoulder-length hair, which hid most of her facial features.

Not that Purifier needed to see her face, she instantly recognized her.

"Ah…Zero…fancy meeting you here." The Siren was visibly nervous." I was just about to return to the base…."

The figure didn't respond. Instead, she moved her pale arm out of her white attire and raised three fingers.

"Eh…? Three? What are you trying to say, Zero? Oh! Are we playing guess-!?" She couldn't continue as her body was forced to the ground by an invisible force.

"You...you don't really need to do that." Purifier could only use one hand to support her sudden heavier body. "I understood. That's how much you have to walk, wiping the memories of the humans that saw me, right? Could it be…three blocks?"

The force that pushed her to the ground grew stronger.

"Okay...okay…was it three kilometers?"

This time, the force lessened a bit, and Purifier knew that was the correct answer.

"I am sorry!" Purifier tried to excuse herself. "But you see, I found this amazing human and…!" Again she was forced to bow again, hitting her head on the ground.

"Humans." The ghostly figure spoke with a calm tone despite her actions. "Forbidden."

"But this one is special! I think I found the human we have been looking for! The one we need for the experiments!"

"Too early." She continued, her words were like a whisper.

"I know how it sounds! The Azur Lane of this world hasn't even formed yet, but…" She looked at her right hand. "No human had managed to hurt a Siren this much before. It's fair to assume that he is already surpassed our standards."

"That human." The apparition shook her head in denial."Not impressive at all."

"Heh, I made that same mistake at first." Purifier responded with a knowing smile."If you underestimate him Zero, then even you may end up defeated like me."

A blue eye peeked between her tufts of hair, as she angrily frowned.

"He is my friend, after all." The crazy Siren declares, with confidence.

"...Foolish." She turned around, apparently ending the conversation. "Return now or face punishment."

Having said that, she walked away a few steps, until her figure lost form and disappear in the air.

At the moment the ghostly figure faded, the mechanic shark returned to normal. It approached to the still fallen Purifier, seeking for a caress like an everyday dog.

"Are you alright? The bad Siren already left." She patted it a bit. "We will have to return, sadly." She released a deep breath. "And I wanted to play with Fujimaru a bit more…"

The shark made a noise as if to answer Purifier.

"Yeah, don't worry, we'll come back later, no matter if Zero wants it or not."A crazy smile appeared on her face. "Not like she will continue to give orders for much longer."

Purifier tried, but couldn't contain a small laugh.

* * *

After what appeared to be an eternity, I could finally see the door of my apartment.

Never I had so much difficulty trying to return home. First, I had to make sure that no one was there to see me carrying an unconscious woman, then I had to use magecraft to enter the building because obviously, I didn't bring my keys when I jumped out of the window.

Not that I knew any spell for opening doors, I just reinforced my hand and broke the lock, adding damage to private property to my future criminal record.

In fact, I am already lucky that nobody decided to call the police after hearing the mess Purifier did. The neighbors must have heard something, or is that they are all heavy sleepers?

The front door is broken now anyway, so I wouldn't be surprised if the policemen show up tomorrow. My own door was forced by Purifier so it's not like they would think I am the culprit but….there is still something here that I can't explain.

This woman, sleeping peacefully on my sofa.

"Really…what am I going to do if the police ask about you?"

"It's okay officer, this is my personal maid which I pay with my school teacher salary, nothing illegal here." is not going to work.

Maybe it wasn't the brightest idea to bring her here, but it's not like I could just throw her in the street. Not that she is going to be much cooperative after waking up either.

"…"

Maybe I should really abandon the country, I still have some saving from back them…ah, but I am not going to find any flights at this hour. It must be like 3 or 4 am, maybe even later.

"Ahhh...Guess I will have to stay here." I took a chair and sit in front of the sofa. "You and that Siren have caused me so much trouble." I release a deep breath, resigned. "And I don't even know your name."

At this point, getting involved is inevitable. Even bringing her here may have been an act against those Siren.

"…I should ask her when she wakes up, if I am getting dragged to this fight, I may as well get all the information possible."

I just hope she is willing to talk things out, especially knowing her tendencies of shooting first and asking later.

* * *

It didn't take long for the football field to become no different from a crime scene, with policemen guarding the perimeter in front of security tape and crowds of people in black coming and going from there.

In the center of all the tumult was a large tent, destined to hide from the passersby the remains of the battle that took place there. Inside it, two women were talking.

"They were here, without a doubt." The Commander said upon looking at the enormous black crater on the ground. "The question is, where did they go?" She looked at the other woman, who was directly in the center of the crater. "Did Sheffield say anything else?"

"I am afraid not." Belfast answered while inspecting the burned land. "The communication was short; she only managed to tell me her location before the link was cut off. It's likely that she didn't have much time to talk."

"…."

A thought fluttered in Commander Marcia's head, but she wasn't sure if it was proper to voice it out.

"Belfast, can I ask you something?"

"Naturally."

"I need you to be honest with me. Do you believe that Sheffield could have been destroyed?"

It was just a single second, but Marcia could swear that an expression of shock crossed Belfast's face.

"I am sorry, Commander, but I don't quite follow you."

But before the Commander could react, she found the same neutral expression she was accustomed to.

Was it her imagination or…?

"Sorry, I didn't explain it properly." Marcia tried to ignore it."The last we knew about Sheffield is that she was fighting the Siren, correct? However, the Siren disappeared from our radars just recently, and few blocks from here, so it's likely that she managed to escape."

"In other words. You believe that Sheffield lost her fight against the Siren?"

Marcia nodded.

"There is also the fact that she was forced to use her rigging. I know that she is not really enthusiastic about following orders, but that suggests that the battle wasn't going on her favor."

"…"

Her silence tells her everything.

Even if Marcia didn't fully understand Belfast, she could see how much she cared about her companions. The thought of her losing a friend must have saddened even the stoic maid.

"I know it's hard, but we need to consider all -"

"It's true." Before Marcia could try to comfort her, Belfast spoke again."Your deduction makes sense, Commander. However, I don't believe she would have let herself be killed so easily."

"Are you sure about that? Or are your emotions speaking for you, Belfast?"

"My emotions have nothing to do with this. Sheffield isn't someone who would just accept her death before accomplishing her mission. If she had considered she couldn't win, then she would have given me information about the Siren instead of telling me her location."

Marcia could feel the conviction in Belfast's words. She spoke as if she knew Sheffield all her life instead of just a couple of months.

"So you think she would prioritize the information rather than her life?

"Exactly. The fact that she chose to tell me her location means that she thought she had a chance of survival."

"But where is she, then?"

"I can't answer that, sadly. She would have contacted me again if she was fine, so she is either wounded or unconscious."

Marcia stared at the maid for a couple of seconds, thinking carefully about the situation.

"…Very well, I will organize a search party to look around the area; if she is indeed wounded, then she couldn't have gone very far."

"Thank you, Commander." The maid made a small reverence.

Marcia just nodded and exited the tent. However, as she left the tent, a small smile was drawn or her face. At that moment, she thought that she had finally managed to understand Belfast just a little bit.

However, her smile quickly disappeared as she remembered that not only the Siren had escaped; she also had lost one of the prototypes she was in charge of. The higher-ups sure weren't going to be happy with that.

Marcia suppressed a groan.

At that time, she thought about how desperately she needed a drink.

* * *

The moment the Commander left the tent, Belfast's façade crumbed for a bit, as she released a deep sigh.

She didn't like having to lie to her like that. It went against her values as that wasn't how a maid, especially the head maid, should behave towards her master.

Or towards a friend…

"No, I shouldn't doubt." She didn't allow herself to keep thinking about that. She had already decided where her loyalty lies long before.

There was a reason why she can't bring herself to call Marcia her "Master." Serving the Queen came first, and that was never going to change.

Having cleaned her mind of doubts, she established the mental link.

"Warspite, I know you are being watched so I'll be quick. The status of the Siren is unknown; however, Sheffield is with the human right now. She is waiting for Her Majesty instructions."

* * *

The voice of Belfast stopped being heard in her head, as Warspite looked fiercely at the camera in the corner of the room.

Oh, how much she hated it.

Being under constant vigilance and locked in such a small room like common prisoners …that wasn't how someone treats their allies. She felt so insulted by the treatment that the humans were giving them that she could almost take her sword and slash that camera in two.

However, she was better than that; she wouldn't allow her personal feelings to get in the way the future of the Royal Navy. The decision of what to do with their "allies" corresponded only to her.

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.

The leader of the Royal Navy was sitting next to her, drinking her tea with a peaceful expression. It appeared that the Queen managed to calm herself after the "incident" or maybe she had resolved to act calm in front of the humans until the situation with Sheffield was resolved.

Either way, they need to be cautious for now.

"Edinburg, can you serve more tea to her Majesty?" The knight talked to the third shipgirl in the room, a maid with glasses and silver hair similar to Belfast's.

"Eh? But her Majesty's cup is quite full already."

"Edinburgh…" Warpite repeated, this time making a gesture with her hand.

"Ah!" The maid finally understood. "Y-yeah, sure, I am going to serve her majesty more tea…"

Having said that, she put herself precisely between the camera and the two shipgirls, obstructing its view.

"Your Majesty." Warspite approached the Queen's ear and began whispering. "Belfast contacted me, Sheffield managed to fool the human into bringing her to his home, at this point he is an easy target, however, we don't know if he is really an enemy or if he had more weapons at his disposal like the one he used against the Siren. What should she do?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes and remained silent for a couple of minutes.

"Isn't it obvious?" She finally answered, looking at Warspite directly in the eyes.

"Your Majesty?" Warspite was confused.

"Bring him here!" The Queen suddenly stood up, hitting her scepter on the floor and making Edinburgh go "eeepp" and spilling all the tea in the table.

"Y-your Majesty!?" Warspite was equally in shock.

"What kind of Queen would I be if I didn't reward my subject after doing such an incredible deed?"

"Your Majesty..." Warspite try whispering again. "The cameras…"

"Huh? I don't care about those dimwits. They can't even prepare a decent accommodation to her Queen. In fact…" She walked towards the corner and spoke directly to the camera. "You dimwits! Stop slacking off and go look for the one who is actually serving me! The man that defeated the Siren!"

"Her majesty we don't know if he…"

"He already accomplished more than anyone in this base." She interrupted Warspite with her commanding voice." Once he is under our command, the Siren won't stand a chance!"

"But…" Any retort that Warspite had was lost as Elizabeth once again turned to the camera.

"You hear it! Bring the man of the shield to me, it's an order!"

**END OF CHAPTER 6**


	7. Hollow Trust

**Chapter 7: Hollow Trust**

In the beginning, there was no light, only an infinite amount of darkness.

"She" as a being didn't exist yet.

"She" didn't have a body or a mind yet, "she" was only a cluster of variables, of positives and negatives. Not a being, but an arrangement of alternating electric currents.

But suddenly and without warning, her form began to take shape, and she started learning things, words, concepts.

Ships, humans, humanity, wisdom cubes, weapons, royal navy, artillery, maids, sirens. The information was so vast that her inexperienced mind was quickly overwhelmed.

Her confusion only got worst as the first vestiges of colors started to be capture by her eyes, eyes that had never see the light of the day before were blinded by the potent white light bulbs hanging from the ceiling.

Before her eyes could get accustomed to that new stimulus, another strange new feeling shocked her brain. She began to feel something pressing every part of her body, touching her extremities one by one. It wasn't a gentle touch; instead, it was quite rushed and violent.

She didn't like that.

Her eyes gradually began to properly work, and the pool of random colors started to take on forms. The most predominant of them were white; there were large white forms around her, touching every inch of her being.

She really didn't like it, no one bit. She wanted them to stop, but she didn't even know how to communicate with them, nor did she have the strength to stop them.

So she resigned herself to her fate. She wasn't even a complete being, to begin with, she didn't have wishes, ambitions, or objectives. So why even care?

However, another one of her senses was put to work before she could abandon her sense of being.

She heard something, for the first time in her life, a sound reached her ears.

"Re…"

It wasn't a proper word, and it was barely audible. However, she couldn't ignore it.

"Re…re…"

It sounded familiar, but how can it be familiar? She hadn't existed for more than a couple of seconds, so why did she know that voice?

"Releas…"

She couldn't contain herself. She ignored the figures in white that still covered most of her field of view, and began to search for the source of the voice.

"Release."

And she found it.

It was a naked girl, her stature was short and her long hair was blond. She also was being surrounded by the same white figures.

It was the same as her. They were the same.

"Release me."

No, that was incorrect.

"Release me, now!"

They weren't the same; she was destined to stand on top, someone who had to bear the responsibility of commanding a country and its people. Someone who will make decisions that would change the entire world.

"Release me now! It's an order!"

Someone who shouldn't be touched by such filthy hands.

With a violent move, she pushed aside the white figures that surround her.

And at that precise moment, she felt something hard and metallic appearing on her right hand. It was also the first time she had felt something like that, but she didn't need to see it to know what it was or how it was used.

It was a gun, and it was used to exterminate those white things.

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes, only to close them again after being blinded by the bright light of the day.

I wanted to turn around and go back to sleep peacefully.

"Ahh…"

However, the pain on my back indicated very clearly that I was not in my comfortable bed.

I forced my eyes to fight the brightness of the day and looked around. I found the familiar sight of my apartment, but I wasn't in my bedroom like I should, no, I was sitting in a chair, in the living room.

"…Why?"

Why did I sleep here? Did I feel asleep without reali-

My train of thought suddenly stopped as I noticed I was not alone. A person, more precisely a woman in a maid uniform, was just in front of me, watching me with a tired stare.

"Have you finally woken up? It's noon already, pest."

I instantly threw myself back, throwing the chair to the floor and almost falling along with it.

"What the fuck are you doing in my house!?"

"You brought me here."

"I brought you-!?" Memories of the night before started to flow in my brain, as my past actions suddenly made me crash into reality. "Arghhh…of course, I brought you here." I facepalmed hard.

"Do you always forget about what you did yesterday or only when it's convenient for you?"

"Leave me alone, I am not good if I don't sleep at least six hours uninterrupted." I started to rub my eyes to get rid of the crusting on my eyes."Wait, why are you speaking as if we were old friends, didn't you have a mission to interrogate me or something?"

"…"

The maid didn't say anything, but she clearly looked angry.

"…I will take your silence as confirmation that you still hate my guts." I said that and went to the bathroom.

It might be because I was still half asleep, but the situation didn't make any sense.

I thought that when she woke up, we would start fighting again, and I would have to convince her to hear me out. Instead, she seemed calm, or rather, she was forcing herself to remain calm.

What the hell happened in those four or five hours I was asleep?

I turned the faucet and started washing my face in the hope that if I finally woke up completely, the situation would begin to make more sense.

However, as I opened my eyes, I found her face reflected in the bathroom mirror.

"You will have to come with me."

"Jesus!" I got spooked again. "You are doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

Then, the impossible happened.

"You are far too wimpy for someone who faced a Siren alone." She said as a small smile appeared on her face.

"…so you can smile after all."

Another expression this time: shock. She even brought her hand to her face, as if inspecting if there was something wrong with herself.

"You must be imagining things." She obviously denied it, her smile disappeared, and the usual deadpan face returned.

"Sure." I left the bathroom, feeling a weird sense of victory, and went towards the kitchen.

"Don't run." I was followed by the tireless maid.

"I am not running, I am waiting for you to explain anything to me." I opened the fridge, only to realize it was almost empty. Tea it is, then. "But I am also at my house. So don't blame me if I try to follow my usual routine, to at least try to have some kind of normalcy."

I reached for a teabag on the top shelf above my head and then started filling a teapot with water.

"You aren't capable of being normal, not after what you have done."

"…"

My hands stopped, and the water began to overflow the teapot.

I know that she didn't mean it; she couldn't possibly know what happened in Chaldea. However, that doesn't mean her words didn't hit a bit too close to home.

"…what do you want from me?" I looked back at her; this time, my voice had a serious tone.

"It pains me to say it, but it seems you are not totally useless. That's why; her Majesty Queen Elizabeth has requested your presence." She said such a thing without batting an eye.

"…come again?"

"You heard me, don't make me repeat myself."

"But…Queen Elizabeth… as the Queen of this country?

"Yes."

"…"

I was utterly dumbfounded. I didn't know what I expected, but it was certainly not this.

"So even the government is involved…" I couldn't escape from the shock. "I should have known, those Sirens aren't just your everyday threat…"

"Have you finally understood the magnitude of this conflict?"

"More or less." Having barely digested that new information, I went back to making my tea. "So I take you are part of a secret organization that fights against those Sirens?"

"…you seem to understand things too quickly for someone who says he doesn't know anything." She commented, doubtful.

"Well, it's not my first time." I whispered as I put the water to boil.

"What?

"Nothing." I should be careful around her; there some things that don't need to be said. "So you are so kind of superhuman soldier or something?"

"Human?" She repeated, but with some kind of repulsion. "I am nothing like that."

"Well, you sure look like one." I turned around to face her again as I waited for the water to boil. "Then what are you, if you allow me to ask?"

"We are weapons."

"Weapons?"

"Human-made weapons, created with the purpose of protecting humanity from the threat of the Sirens."

So they are human-like beings that surpass humanity in strength and speed, but that for some reason follow human orders too.

That doesn't sound familiar at all.

"As for the reason we have a humanoid appearance." She continued. "You will have to ask our creators." That last sentence was spoken with disgust. It was clear that this "weapon" didn't like much the ones she had to protect.

"Your creators, huh? They must be either too old-fashioned." I turned off the fire and took the hot teapot with a folded napkin."Or perverts to make you dress like that."

Her immediate response was to put a pistol in my forehead.

"This is the uniform of the Royal Maids." Her words were far more forceful this time, even while maintaining a somewhat neutral expression, she managed to sound angry. "A representation of the oath we took when we joined the Royal Navy, our loyalty, and our conviction to serve the Queen to the very end."

I stared at her for a couple of seconds, a bit surprised by her reaction. Her fierce gaze told me that I had touched a delicate subject.

"…sorry, it was a joke."I apologize, not breaking eye contact. "I didn't mean to ridicule something you hold dear."

It seems like that apology caught her off guard because once again, she wore an expression of disbelief.

"Something I hold dear…" She lowered the weapon as she said those words.

"I, too, have things that I consider precious." I continued talking; in the hope of lighten up the mood. "So, I understand how you feel."

" That's wrong."

"Hmm?"

"A weapon… does not need to hold something dear." Her words had a tone of confusion, as she herself didn't believe what she was saying.

"Ah…I see." Those words didn't match her previous reaction, she was clearly contradicting herself.

I chuckled.

"What's so funny?" She wasn't amused.

"Nothing." I continued talking, while I took a couple of cups and started pouring tea in them. "You don't need to be ashamed of having something important for you. If you do have emotions, then it's probably unavoidable that you would find things you like more than others, even as a weapon."

"I am not…"

I put a cup in front of her.

"…"

And our conversation suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong? You don't like tea? Or is it that your kind can't drink things?" She was looking at the cup as if it was the weirdest thing ever.

"Why are you giving me this?"

"For you to drink it?"

"I am asking why you want me to drink it. Is it poisoned? Did you tamper with the tea in some way?"

"…No?" Now it was my turn to be confused. "I just prepared it for me, so I thought you may like some?"

"Why?"

"…to be a good host? I don't know. Don't make it difficult for me, if you don't like want it, then just leave it there." A brought my own cup to my lips.

She stared at me unconvinced, then at her cup, then back at me. After repeating this process for a couple of seconds, she finally took the cup on her hands and drank.

"Arg." Her reaction wasn't a pleasant one.

"Well, I guess you don't like tea after all."

"Tea? Do you call this tea?"

"Last time I checked it was tea."

"It tastes horrible." She drank some more. "Truly, you can't even do this right, pest."

"And you can? Is making tea one of your abilities as a weapon?"

She suddenly stood up, looking fired up.

"You'll see."

Then she entered the small space of the kitchen and started looking around the shelves, probably searching for utensils that I don't have.

I chucked. It was actually good to know that she wasn't some kind of emotionless robot. Even if she said she is a weapon, it's challenging to look at her like that.

Or maybe it just me, I could never see my Servants like that either. They had their goals, they liked things and disliked others, they got along with others just fine or hated them to death. How could I see them as just a cumulus of mana if they felt so real?

Maybe she is the same.

"Do you have a name, weapon?" I asked.

"Sheffield." She said, not stopping to look at me and continuing her labor.

"Ritsuka." I drank more of my "horrible" tea. "It's nice to meet you, Sheffield."

* * *

"That's all I have to report, sir." Marcia finished her report and waited patiently for her superior to respond.

The burly man in front of her was sitting behind a desk a bit too small for him, tiredly looking at some papers, which seemed to bear no difference with the stacks piling up on his desk.

He wore a black military uniform similar to the one Marcia had, only differentiated by the presence of a few badges and a different insignia on its shoulder. The black cap that completed the uniform was absent, showing a shaved head.

"Haydes." He started, his fierce stare was only worsened by bags under his eyes. "Are you telling me that you lost one of the Prototypes?"

"Yes, sir. I let her go knowing that something like this could happen, I have no excuse." Marcia braced herself for the inevitable reprimand.

"…"

The man took a deep breath, as a clear expression of exhaustion appeared on his face.

"What are you waiting for then? Go look for it now." The man said, in tone unexpectedly calm for the current state of affairs.

"S-sir?" The Commander was clearly confused. She had expected a 30 minutes long rant about how useless she was and how vital the prototypes were to simply lose one like that.

"Go. Look. For. It. Do you need me to spell it for you, Commander?"

"No, Sir!" Marcia responded. "However, as I stated in my report, a search party had already been deployed and working since last night."

"That's not nearly enough." He threw the report on his desk." Send the entire regiment posted in the laboratories."

"But sir, if we do that, we would be vulnerable if…"

"If the other prototypes tried to escape? For the love of God, Haydes!" He stood up and hit the desk with both hands, the stacks of papers trembled. "You know as well as me that if they really wanted to escape, then mere soldiers with guns wouldn't be enough to stop them. If they are still in the laboratories, it is because they have a reason to remain there."

He walked toward her and began to speak more quietly.

"Or have you forgotten why you were put in charge? There is nothing in your report about prototype 01 after all these months. Are you actually working on getting the information we asked for, Haydes?"

"I…haven't forgotten about my mission, however the Sirens…."

"The Sirens are under control, which is hardly true for our own weapons." He frowned. "Or should I remind you about the 02 incident?"

"No, sir. I remember it well."

"Then move your ass at once and mobilize the people in the laboratories! I don't care if they are soldiers, scientists, or the fucking janitor; send them to search for the missing prototype, now!"

"Yes, Sir!" She said, and quickly left the Admiral's office.

Once she had left, and the Admiral was left alone in his office, he took a cigar box from his breast pocket and withdrew a cigarette, smoke prohibition be dammed.

After lighting it and getting his dose of nicotine, he quietly stared at the mountain of papers in his desk.

"….!"

Suddenly, he hit the desk with all the force he could muster, the stacks of papers suddenly flew around him, and fell inevitable on the floor.

"Bitch." He said to himself, a vein almost popping out of his forehead. "You aren't the one whose head will roll if that thing doesn't appear soon."

* * *

Marcia left the military base and was about to return to the laboratories when she spotted a figure on the other side of the street. She couldn't miss her, not when her maid uniform was so noticeable.

She quickly approached her.

"What are you doing here, Belfast?" She asked, a bit on edge.

"Good day, Commander." The maid nodded. "How did it go?"

"I asked you a question, what are you doing outside the laboratories?"

"Don't worry, I have permission." She showed her a small electronic device pinned to her clothes. "They are hearing us right now to confirm that I don't venture too far."

It was true, due to her successful repelling of various Siren's incursions on the sea. Belfast had gained some degree of freedom to move outside the base as long as she doesn't go far, and they can pinpoint her location at any moment.

"They should have informed me first, though. What were they thinking….?"

"I am guessing most of the personnel is in turmoil because of Sheffield's disappearance."

"Did they find anything?"

"No, and that's precisely why they allow me to come to meet you. I would like to join the search forces, Commander."

"…"

Marcia had already thought about asking for her help. As long as they did it at night, she can cover more territory than dozens of them in little time.

"Before I give you permission, I have to ask you something."

However, something had been bothering her since she wrote her report a few hours ago.

"If it is within my knowledge, I'll be glad to answer."

"Alright, then." She looked directly at her. "Who is "the man of the shield"?"

At that moment, Belfast's regular neutral expression crumbled.

"I-I am not sure what you are referring to, Commander?"

That was a lie.

Belfast doesn't usually lie to her, so it was easy to know when she actually did it.

Her subordinates informed her that prototype 02, Elizabeth, had rambled about this "man of shield" the other night. She had purposely hidden this to the Admiral. In part because she didn't want to stress him more than he already was, and in part, because she didn't have enough information to assess the nature of this person.

But now she had a confirmation, Belfast knew about this mysterious man.

"Your Queen was screaming about some man of the shield last night. I take that you know what she is referring to?"

"N-no, sorry. I have no idea what she means." Belfast seemed extremely agitated.

"…If you don't want to tell me, then it can't force you." She said drily and started to walk towards her car.

"Commander!" Belfast stopped her. "I really don't know anything about that." She repeated, but this time, she pointed again at the electronic device on her clothes. "That's the truth."

After a few seconds of confusion, Marcia understood what she meant.

"…I see, just wanting to be sure." She dropped the issue; she will have to find some other time to ask her, one when no one is listening. "Let's return to the base, for now, I'll drop a few things there, and we can resume the search for Sheffield."

She still didn't know if she can fully trust the maid, but she really hoped that whatever she had to say would help her decide.

"Understood, Commander." Belfast said and followed behind her.

However, just as she was about to get into Marcia's car, she took one last look at the large military base behind her.

And her eyes narrowed.

* * *

"And?" She looked at me, fiercely.

"…." I lowered the cup of tea and looked at it for a couple of seconds.

How?

This was just normal, supermarket tea, and not even the good quality one; I brought it because it was on discount. How did she manage to make it taste this good? I didn't see her do anything different or unique with it.

"Well, it's alright, I guess."

"Just alright?" She asked, doubtful.

"I mean, it's tea. It tastes like tea. Nothing more, nothing less. " I tried to hide the fact that my own tea tasted like dirty water compared to this.

"I should have known that you would have no taste for things like this, pest." She commented, resigned, as she tried to take the cup from my hands.

I quickly move it out of her reach.

"Wait; let me try a bit more, maybe I will understand if I keep drinking." I said; as I drank more of that rich tea.

She looked at me as if I were a disappointment to the human race, but ultimately didn't say anything.

So we remained like that for a while, I secretly enjoyed my tea while she watched me with a strange interest.

Naturally, after a couple of minutes, it started to feel a bit awkward; she kept looking at me without moving a single muscle.

Which reminds me…

"Hey, how long were you awake while I slept in the chair?

"I didn't sleep."

"Eh?"

"I regained consciousness just when you were breaking the lock to enter the building."

"But then….why didn't you say anything?"

"Would you have done that in my position?"

"…fair enough." I drank more tea.

"I used that time to search around the apartment."

I almost spit my drink.

"You did what!?"

"Unfortunately, apart from the lack of proper cleaning, I didn't find anything incriminating."

I release a deep breath.

"Of course, I am just a teacher, you know? You won't found anything weird here besides my students' homework."

I don't even have a proper workshop like most magi do, really the only thing out of place here is…

"That shield, however." She continued as if reading my mind. "It's something I have never seen before. Sturdy enough to defend against a Siren attack, but also light, to the point a hu-" She stopped for a second, as if she had made a mistake. "To the point, you could wield it with one hand."

I didn't miss that remark.

"If you are accusing me of something, then at least say it clearly so I can defend myself."

"Very well. The truth is that you aren't human, are you?"

"Pffff..." I couldn't contain myself, and from my mouth came an explosive laugh.

Sheffield, on the other hand, wasn't amused at all.

"Hahaha, sorry." I tried to stop my laugh. "It's just that you say so seriously…hahahaha."

"It's no use denying it." She gave me a dead stare. "I saw you fight with the Siren, a normal human can't reach the speed or strength you showed there."

"Hahaha, it's alright. I guess it's a natural conclusion to reach." I finally manage to stop my laugh. "But don't worry, I was born human, and I am still human."

Probably will die human too.

"That doesn't explain how you were able to fight a Siren."

"Well." I allowed myself a small smile. "You aren't the only one who has secrets." I once again brought my cup to my lips, only to find that it was empty. "Hmm? Do you have more tea?"

She was about to retort when suddenly an expression of surprise appeared on her face.

"Yes, I am here." She said, but not to me, as she stood up and walked towards the window. "How long do we have?" It seemed that she was speaking to someone in her head.

I was about to ask what she was talking about when I heard someone knocking the door with force, which was followed by a scream.

"It's the police! Ritsuka Fujimaru, are you there!?"

I looked at Sheffield.

Sheffield looked at me.

"Who…?"

"Shhhhhh." I quickly silenced her, as I approached to whisper. "It's the police! To think that they would actually come…"

"What are you waiting for then? Make them go away."

"But what if they want to come in for whatever reason? Could it be that they found something about me…?" I started looking around my apartment. "They can't see you here, hide!"

"We don't have time for that." Sheffield didn't seem to mind the policeman shouting outside the house. "I was instructed to bring you to the Queen now."

"What!? I am not running away from the police! Much less to go who knows where to meet a Queen!"

"To a subterranean military lab."

"What? This is not time to joke around!"

"I don't joke around." She was indeed, completely serious.

"….good, now I have a reason not to go."

I am not getting anywhere close to a closed space where I could potentially be locked in.

"I don't care if you want to or not, the Queen gave me an order, and I am going to fulfill it."

"Oh no, you aren't going to mess my life more than you already have." I turned around and try to reach the door. "I am going to open that door, so hide or get out of here!"

She appeared in front of me, blocking my path.

"No, you won't."

"Yes, I am!" I tried to forcefully get her out of my way.

Unfortunately for me, due to these hours that I have more or less peacefully talked with her or maybe because I was in a hurry to open the door. I had forgotten that she was, in fact, stronger than me.

She took my hand, and with a single move, I was already on the floor.

"You aren't going anywhere but with me." She made sure to lock my right arm behind me and put all her weight in my back, leaving me no room to escape.

"Maid…!"

You leave me no choice then. I quickly intoned my aria of reinforcement.

"What are you mumbling-?"

She didn't get to finish talking, as the arm that she was holding so tightly began to glow green. With my newfound strength, I manage to break her hold and get her away from me.

"Those lines…" She made her guns appear on her hands. Was a fight between us inevitable?

"Ritsuka Fujimaru! I am coming in!" The policeman shouted as I stood up. "One."

He started counting.

"Two."

We looked at each other again.

"Three!"

"Good day, officer!" I manage to open just before the policeman could knock the door down. "What seems to be the probl-"

"Mr. Fujimaru!" I was interrupted by the voice of a woman. "Thank god! I thought something horrible had happened to you!" She made an attempt to enter the house to hug me, but I hold the door half-open with force, stopping her.

This woman, Mrs. Nasby, was one of my neighbors. She was one of those stereotypical middle age women that seem to have too much time on their hand, and the only way they could normally escape from the boredom of the routine was talking about other people, usually behind their backs.

I couldn't say that I got along very well with her, and while I appreciated her concern about my safety, my arm was still covered in glowing green lines behind the door, so entering the house was a big no.

"I am fine, thank you." I looked back at the policeman. "What happened, officer?"

"Are you Fujimaru Ritsuka?"

"I am."

"Why didn't you come when I called you?"

"Ah…well, I am a heavy sleeper you see, and on the weekend I tend to wake up a bit later than usual, you caught me still half asleep." I came up with the quickest excuse I could find.

"I see." The man didn't look convinced for some reason. "Anyway, sir, are you aware that your door is broken?"

"My door is broken…? Woah! I didn't notice! When did this happen?"

Man, I suck at lying.

"The front door was also forced open, and one of the windows in the corridor was broken too. Did you happen to hear something last night? It's possible that burglars entered your apartment."

"Eh…no, sorry. As I said, I am a heavy sleeper. I could probably remain sleep even if someone did enter."

"I keep telling him, Mr. Fujimaru." Mrs. Nasby interceded. "I have talked with everyone on this floor and no one heard a thing last night! Everyone, myself included, slept like babies."

"Nobody heard anything…?"

I am pretty sure the drones weren't doing that much noise, but me breaking the window definitely must have awakened someone. Was I just lucky?

"You sure nothing is wrong, sir?" The policeman still looked doubtful. Was he thinking that I was hiding the criminals in my house or something…? Although, I was the one who broke those things, so maybe that's technically correct.

"Yeah, don't worry, everything is alright."

"Ok. I will still recommend that you check your belongings sir, in case something of value was stolen. I'll be visiting the rest of the neighbors if you want to file a report later."

With a nod, and a "have a good day" the policeman left, leaving Mrs. Nasby and me alone.

"Well, I'll better do what the officer told me. Good d…"

"Ah, wait a minute, Mr. Fujimaru." I tried to close the door quickly but the woman stopped me. "There is still…something that I wanted to talk about."

"Uh, sure." I tried to hide my annoyance. "What about?"

"Well…it's a bit…."

"…?"

Now, this was strange.

Normally, Mrs. Nasby is a real chatterbox; there were times when it seemed like she didn't actually have the ability to shut her mouth for more than a minute. This was the first time I had seen her so subdued since moving here.

"I…didn't want to talk about this in front of the policeman but… I mean, they would believe I am crazy, right? But that can't be! Not when it also happened to the rest of the neighbors…!"

"Eh…Mrs. Nasby?" I tried to calm her. "I am afraid I don't follow you."

"You see…I had a dream."

"A dream?"

"Yes….you…you saw it too, don't you? The blue eye?"

"Excuse me?"

The expression in Mrs. Nasby turned into a strange mix of emotion; there was disappointment, surprise but also…fear?

"Ah…uh…okay…nevermind." She said, nervously. "It must have sounded really weird to you, right? Hahahaha."

"Hmm, no…not at all. But are you okay? You look a bit pale.

"Oh no no, I am totally fine!" She didn't seem fine at all. "And…I remembered that I had something to do so I'll be going now. Good day Mr. Fujimaru."

Before I could say anything else, Mrs. Nasby quickly walked away… no, she basically ran away.

"Well, that's a thing that happened." I said to myself, a bit confused as I closed the door.

Mrs. Nasby looked genuinely scared, to the point that I was starting to feel bad for her. I wondered what exactly could have happened to put her in that state.

"A dream…about a blue eye? Where have I heard something similar?"

I was pondering about the meaning of that when I noticed that I couldn't see the maid anywhere.

"Sheffield! You can come out, they already left." I shouted while looking for the maid. But I got no response. "Sheffield?"

My eyes suddenly found a piece of paper lying on the table where we were before. There was a single word written on it, in big black letters.

"TONIGHT"

And obviously, Sheffield was nowhere to be found.

* * *

I decided not to wait for Sheffield's ambiguous night period and spent my day trying to actually fix some of my problems.

So after calling to get my door fixed sometime in the week, I decided to partake in the infamous act known as going to the grocery store. My fridge was empty this morning after all, and I didn't plan on having only tea for my next meals.

And here I was, after fighting for my life against a supernatural being that seems to defile reason and wresting with a trigger-happy maid a couple of hours ago, asking myself if I wanted to make something with potatoes tonight.

It was so ridiculous that I had to laugh.

Even though my normal life was slowly crumbling around me, I still found myself trying to do mundane things.

"…"

I wondered, would I be able to enjoy these tranquil moments the same way after this? My life had been relatively peaceful for a long time, but things are changing, again.

It's happening again, just like it happened before. That day, when I took what I thought would be a simple job in an organization called Chaldea.

I still remember most of it. I was just out of school and I needed money but didn't want to ask my parents.

So when I saw that flyer, I didn't think it for a second. They just needed to take some of my blood, and I would get pay even if they didn't find what they were looking for.

A simple, easy way to earn money.

And once I had been done with that, I would have visited the sea with my friends, just like we had kept saying since 8th grade. A fun trip, which I would remember for years to come.

However, they found it, they found that I could be a Master.

And everything changed.

"Life just doesn't go according to your plans, does it?" I said to the potato in my hand, as if it could answer me.

"It sure doesn't."

To my surprise, someone answered me.

A bit stunned, I turned back to see the owner of the voice.

It was a woman, but not one I remembered ever meeting. After all, there was no way I could forget someone like her.

Almost as tall as me, strong silver eyes, straight long hair of the same color, and quite pretty to be honest, to the point that I forgot how to talk upon seeing her.

Not to mention that her attributes were…generous, to say the least. The clothes she was wearing, a baggy sweater that did nothing to hide her cleavage and a skirt accompanied by black stocking didn't help at all to make me regain my speaking faculties.

Some time passed and for some reason, she didn't say anything either, so we kept looking at each other for a solid minute.

That until I remembered that I still had a potato in my hand like an idiot and my brain started working again.

"Ah, sorry." I apologize for no reason. "I was talking to myself."

"It's true, though." She finally spoke again; her voice had a tone of melancholy. "Life isn't always how we want it to be."

The sudden philosophic topic stunned me a bit, but I did understand what she meant.

"Change is difficult, isn't it? More when you are forced to."

"Indeed." A sad expression appeared on her face. "One day we think we have our path already decided, we spent our days working towards that path, just for everything we believe on, to change in a single day."

"…."

Even though I didn't know her, I could guess she had it hard too.

I kind of wanted to cheer her up a bit.

"Well. I don't know anything about your problems, but at least you weren't found out talking with a potato in the market, so you already better than me, right?"

Was that the best joke I could think of? Really? I am an Idiot.

Despite my horrendous sense of humor, I could see her smiling a bit so I will consider that a win.

"So do you usually come here to speak with the potatoes?" She continued the joke, a bit cheered up.

"Maybe, do you usually come here to talk about life with strangers?

"Maybe. This time, however, I was looking for the tea section. Do you happen to know where it is, potato-talker?"

"Ah...yes, I think you just need to turn the corner and walk for a bit, you should be able to find it easily."

"I see, thank you." She made a small reverence, for some reason. "I hope you get a hold of your life, potato-talker."

And after a final look, she continued her way.

"Potato-talker, huh? Could that be the worst nickname I got in my entire life? Probably." I said as I fill my basket with potatoes. It's been a while since I ate mashed potatoes, so let's go with that.

Also, they had to pay for making me look ridiculous.

* * *

Having brought what I wanted, I decided to head back to my apartment. The sky was still orange-tinted, so I should have time to make dinner before Sheffield's antics.

That if whatever Sheffield has planned for tonight allows me to actually eat something.

I was trying my best not to be worried about that, but I was still curious. Was she going to drag me to that military base she talked about? I really don't want to go such a place. The thought of getting locked frankly scared me a bit.

Despite all this, I was free now; and I wanted it to continue being like that.

"Hmm, where could it be…?"

A now familiar figure pulled me out of those thoughts; it was the same woman from before. She was looking at the floor, as if looking for something.

"…."

Maybe I should continue my way. I would normally ask what happened but we didn't actually know each other and I didn't want to look like a stalker...

…

…

…

Oh, fuck me.

"Is something wrong?" I approached her after all.

"No, I am…ah, you are the potato person!"

"Potato person? Is talking with potatoes suddenly my only defining trait?"

"Haha, sorry. I forgot to ask your name."

"Well, I forgot too, no hard feelings. I am Ritsuka."

"Bel." She extended her hand. "Nice to meet you, Ritsuka."

I shook her hand; her grip was actually stronger than I thought.

"Presentations aside, are you looking for something?"

"Ah, yes, I am dumb. I lost one of my earrings." She touched her ear where the earring should have been.

"And it fell around here?" I said as I started looking around.

"I think so...ah, but it's okay, you don't have to bother looking for it."

"Its fine, it shouldn't take too much time."

Or so I hoped, I still have to meet Sheffield after all.

"Really? It's starting to get dark; you wouldn't want to be home late." She said, as if reading my mind.

"Don't worry; my apartment is just a few blocks from here." I kept looking around. "Also, shouldn't have I been the one to say that? Did I lose gentlemen points perhaps?"

"Yes, minus three points for not mentioning that, however, I can add five for helping me."

"And where does that leave me?"

"Minus thirty-six."

"That low!?"

She chuckled.

I was glad; she really seemed to have cheered up.

"Could I get ten more points if I find the earring?"

"You could get more than that."

"…"

Wait… Is this happening? Are we actually flirting?

Nah, it couldn't be, she is just being friendly. Or maybe that conversation we had early made her more open with me despite being a stranger.

As I thought that, I heard a "clink" behind my back and immediately turned around.

"There it is." I kneeled to pick the heart-shaped earring. "How weird, I thought I looked around here before. Did I miss it?"

"You found it!" Bel looked happy, and in what I thought was a disproportionate gesture of gratitude, she hugged me "Thank you, Ritsuka."

Her hug was also quite firm, despite her delicate appearance, she was actually quite strong. Also, "something" was pressing against me, "something" that I rather not think about.

"Eh…you are welcome?"

"That'll be twenty points." She finally separated from me, she was smiling.

"So, I am at minus seventeen now?"

"Minus sixty-five."

"Somehow I keep going lower!?"

We laughed like a pair of idiots.

Truth to be told, I was actually enjoying spending time with Bel.

"Well." However, everything must come to an end sooner or later. "I better be going now, as you say it's probably a bit late."

"Too bad, another minus five for not suggesting accompanying me to my house."

"Sadly, I am not that bold."

"You are kind, though."

"Well, I try to be."

"Can I invite you a few drinks to repay your kindness?"

"…"

She is nice. I would like to know more about her.

"Thank you, but someone is waiting for me in my apartment."

However, I can't. I am no position to start a new relationship now.

"Oh well…maybe some other day?"

It doesn't matter if it's romantic or just as friends, adding her to my mess of life will only cause her problems, more than the ones she already has.

"It's my girlfriend." I lied. "She is the one waiting for me."

"Ah…I see."

"Yeah, sorry for making things awkward."

"No, no, it's okay." She seemed a bit disappointed. "I understand."

I won't lie, I was a bit sad; she really seemed like a good person. But precisely because of that, it's that I shouldn't involve her in my problems.

"Well, then." I prepared to leave. "I am going now."

I walked a few steps when I remember something.

"Ah, I also hope you get a hold of your life, Bel."

And with that, I walked away, sincerely wishing her the best.

Until I heard her voice again.

"You too, Fujimaru Ritsuka."

I stopped.

"Wait, did I tell you my surname?"

As I turned back, I found no one.

Bel had disappeared.

* * *

"I am back." I said as I opened my still broken door."Sheffield, you back? Can I eat before you start bothering me again?"

"Welcome back." Someone who wasn't Sheffield greeted me. Just like her, she was wearing a maid uniform, the design was slightly different, but it was impossible not to see the resemblance.

"…."

Our eyes met once again, but they no longer carried the same feeling as before. In her eyes, that I had found sadness and happiness alike, now I found nothing like that, only a serious, detached gaze.

"So that's how it is." I said, drily.

"Indeed." She answered; her voice was also devoid of emotion.

I walked toward the kitchen and left the supermarket bags there.

"It wasn't a coincidence that we meet, right?"

"No, I had been tracking you for about an hour."

"And you didn't lose the earring at all."

"I had it in my pocket the entire time."

"I see." I waited a bit before continuing. "I will tell you what I told Sheffield, I am not going anywhere close to a military base."

"I know, she told me. That's why I decided to come."

"That's why you decided to put that little act?"

"I had to know what kind of person you were."

"You should be content to know that I am a naïve idiot." My voice has a little edge. "Where is Sheffield anyway?"

"I asked her to wait a bit before coming back, so I can explain the situation."

"There is nothing to explain. Call her so we can be done with this, weapon."

"Weapon?" That word seemed to catch her by surprise a bit.

"You are a weapon, just like Sheffield, right?"

"That's correct. My name is Belfast, I am the Head Maid of the Royal Navy." She lifted her skirt a bit. "At your service."

"Bel…Belfast. So you didn't totally lie, huh?"

"…"

She looked a bit dejected, but I didn't care this time.

"I…deeply apologize for that. I hope this little stumble doesn't affect your opinion on the Royal Navy. Her Majesty would really appreciate your help with future threats."

"My help?"

"We have failed to procure a dependable human asset for months. Her Majesty thinks that you would be a perfect candidate for that role. In other words…"

"Belfast." Sheffield appeared, entering through the window like it was the most natural thing to do. "Don't take hasty decisions, we still don't know if…"

"Her Majesty had already decided, and after our brief interaction, he has gained my approval too." She said, her voice had a tone of command.

Sheffield frowned but didn't say anything. Was it because Belfast was her superior?

"What exactly do you want me to do?"

"Fujimaru Ritsuka. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, leader of the Royal Navy, would like to appoint to you as the Commander of the fleet, as well as the Master of the Maid Corps. "

…!

"W-what….? What did you just say?"

Master...a Master?

"You'll be in full control of the Shipgirls of the Royal Navy during the battle with the Sirens, as well as in any other necessity you may require. The only thing we ask in return is your loyalty to the only true Queen of this country."

**END OF CHAPTER 7**


	8. Conflicting Perspectives

The world around us was red, as the insatiable flames scorched the city. No matter how much the buildings and houses burned, they didn't fall out, as if they were condemned to burn for eternity.

"Let's take a rest." I proposed as I sit on the debris.

I was tired; it was difficult to continue walking as it was to breathe. My chest hurt, I feared I had inhaled too much of that ascending smoke, the same that darkened the skies.

"No, we should keep going." Olga Marie Animusphere, the director of Chaldea, said. She didn't seem to be bearing the effects of the fire like I was. "We don't know when we may be attacked again."

"Sorry, I need…" I coughed. "I need a rest."

"Senpai." Mashu put a hand on my back. "Are you alright? I can lend you my shoulder if you need it."

"That would be irresponsible." Olga answered for me."Who will protect us if you are busy helping him walk?"

"But…."

"She is right, Mashu. You are the only one who can fight, we need you to stay alert in case more of those shadows appear."

Another cough left my mouth.

"You." Olga Marie approached me; her eyes were judging me for some reason. "Why do you look so bad? Is your protection spell not working?"

"Protection…spell?"

"Yes, the one you used to…." A confused expression appeared on her face. "Wait, don't tell me you didn't protect your respiratory system with magecraft?"

"Huh…sorry. I am new to this entire magecraft thing, so I don't know how."

Olga gave a disappointed look, as she sighed. Then, without saying another word, she put her hand on my chest.

"Eh…Director?"

"Shhh." She shut me up, as she started to incanted something in a language I didn't recognize. Her hand began to glow in a greenish light, and before I realized, I felt a lot of better. The pain in my throat gradually disappeared, alongside the difficulty to breath.

Amazed, I tried to thank her.

However, my words disappeared in my mouth, as I feel a sudden pain burning my check.

It was so sudden that I didn't have time to react; only when I noticed Olga's raised hand, I realized I was slapped.

"Director, that's…!" Mashu tried to say something.

"You would have died." Olgamarie's voice was fierce. "If you had spent more time like that, you would have surely died.

"I…didn't know…"

"If you had died, the contract between the Servant inside Mashu's body would have ended." She didn't break eye contact. "Unable to defend ourselves, we would have died too."

"…" I lowered my head, ashamed.

"Look at me!" She took me by my uniform and forced me to look at her. "You are a Master now! Our lives are in your hands, so you can't die! That's your responsibility! If it were me, I…!"

She stopped, as if a sudden realization had hit her, and released me.

"But it's not me…" Olgamarie's voice now sounded broken, her eyes were moist. "It's you; you are the Master and not me."

"…."

I wanted to say something to apologize even though I had no control over my capability of being a Master or not, but I couldn't find the words. I didn't know anything about the director; we were basically strangers.

So I did the next best thing I could think of.

I hugged her.

"W-what? What are you doing!? Who gave you permission to-?" She tried to part herself from me, but I hug her with force.

Whatever I could say won't help her, apologizing will just put salt on her wounds, pretending that I understood her problem wouldn't help her either. So I stayed silent in the hope she would understand my intention.

Why was I, the nobody, the random guy who can be found anywhere, the guy who had no idea about magecraft or spells…why was I the Master instead of her?

I didn't know.

What I knew was that if she needed to cry, then I could lend her my shoulder. Otherwise, I was ready to accept another slap.

However, Olga's struggle slowly stopped until she timidly hugged me back.

She didn't say anything, so I didn't know if she actually cried at that time.

Nor I would ever know.

* * *

"A Master….a Master." I keep repeating those words as I collapsed on one of the chairs in the living room, my eyes quickly went to the back of my hand, where my command seals used to be.

The command seals weren't there, they had disappeared a long time ago.

That was the proof; I lost my contract with Chaldea's Servants, and I was no longer a Master. So why? Why are they asking me to be one again? Why does it have to be me again?

Olga…Why does it have to be me?

"Ritsuka Fujimaru?" A voice called for me, and I remembered I wasn't alone.

They were still here, the maids.

As I raised my head, I could notice the confusion on both of their faces. Belfast was looking at me weirdly, probably bewildered by my reaction. Meanwhile, Sheffield stared at me as if any sudden movement could make her take her guns out, I must have been looking like a crazy person.

I just didn't know how to react. To be called a "Master" again felt like a complete joke, an abysmal joke.

I felt everything suddenly coming back to me, the memories that laid dormant in my subconscious resurged all at once. I could hear their voices again, all those times I was called "Master" by my Servants…by Mashu.

And it hurt, it hurt knowing that I will never see them again.

"…"

I furiously rubbed my face as I released a series of deep breaths.

"I need a drink."I quickly stood up and walked towards the kitchen, completely ignoring the two maids.

"Fujima-?"

"Do you drink?" I interrupted Belfast. "I think I have a couple of beer cans. Nothing stronger sadly, things like whiskey are usually a bit too expensive for my taste."

"No, we don't -"

"It's too bad, really." I interrupted her again, as I opened the fridge to see some cans lying around. "I would really like some of that now. Maybe you could have told me this at the grocery store, that way I could have bought some cheap wine at least."

"That's…"

"Just answer the question." Sheffield finally interceded, apparently tired of my evasive attitude. "Will you accept her Majesty's proposal or not?"

I closed the fridge door with force.

"Answers? You want answers, really? You turn my life upside down, and you are the one that demands answers?" I opened a can and took a big sip, hoping that the alcohol would ease the chaos that was my mind. "I won't answer a single thing until you tell me exactly what's going on."

A Master…to be a Master again…

"I am sorry, I guess this is too much to process." Belfast apologized; she had been a lot of more submissive since we met again, I wondered if that was her real personality. "Regrettably, I don't have much time to spare, but I will answer your questions to the best of my ability."

"No." I said, drily.

"Eh?"

"You fooled me once." I pointed at her. "I don't trust you one bit."

"…" Belfast lowered her head, looking a bit dejected. I realized I was being especially mean to her, but I frankly couldn't care at the moment.

"Sheffield." I addressed the other maid. "What exactly does your Queen want me to do?"

"So you are asking me?" she raised an eyebrow.

"I am. Will you answer?"

She gave me a dead stare as if studying my intentions. After a few seconds, however, she answered.

"Her Majesty is under the impression that you can help us combat the Sirens, as well as be our link to the rest of human society, as our current human jailers are less than desirables."

"Jailers?"

"Sorry, that was a slip of the tongue, I mean allies."

I didn't have to be a genius to understand that she didn't like humans at all. Maybe that was the reason for her aversion to me.

"So, she basically wants me to be your leader?"

"Not a leader, a Commander." She corrected me.

"A Commander, you say…." I took another sip of beer. "But isn't your kind already working with the military? I don't think you need a middle-school teacher to give you orders."

I doubt they even need them, Sheffield appeared to be quite capable of fighting without someone giving her order behind her back.

"We indeed have people capable of supporting us for the backline, both administratively and strategically." Belfast joined the conversation. "However, her majesty is especially interested in your ability to fight Sirens, that's something none of our current human companions are capable of."

I didn't answer her; instead, I looked at Sheffield, looking for confirmation.

Her immediate reaction was to sigh.

"She is telling the truth. Also, don't involve me in your quarrel, pest."

"Your Queen would be disappointed then since that wasn't a fight." I finally answered Belfast, while I drink some more. "Sheffield was there, she can attest that Purifier wasn't fighting me; rather, she was playing with me as if I were a toy. The only reason I am still alive is that she wasn't serious."

I have no doubts that she could have bypassed Lord Camelot easily, even if she couldn't destroy it. A single attack to my back would have been enough; she had the speed to do that.

"Purifier…" Sheffield muttered, staring at me with her now-classic look of distrust.

"I was told that you also managed to hurt her." Belfast either didn't notice or didn't care that I had used the Siren's name, and continued. "I don't think that it was just a matter of luck."

"You couldn't know, you weren't there."

"Even if we disregard that, the fact that you came in contact with a Siren and survive is already admirable, your experience could be invaluable in future battles. That's why I can't think of a better person to fill the role of Commander, Fujimaru Ritsuka." She said, with conviction.

"…"

I release a deep sigh once again; they really wanted me to be their "Commander". Or at least Belfast and the Queen wanted.

I was still not satisfied, though. Before I gave them my answer, I wanted to know a certain thing.

"You also mentioned…" The words felt heavy in my throat; it was difficult to pronounce them. "Something about a "Master".

They suddenly went quiet, as if I had just said a bad word. Sheffield sighed and sit on a nearby chair, looking tired for some reason. Belfast didn't move, but she looked a bit unnerved.

"The Master is…different." she said, but didn't elaborate.

"How different?"

"Well…"The previously determined and fierce-looking Belfast now looked a bit different, as if she wasn't entirely comfortable with the topic. "The Royal Navy also aware the "Master" title to the Commander, as long as the Queen and the Head Maid agreed with it." She finally continued, but her uneasiness didn't disappear.

"So they are the same thing?"

"Not necessary, the Commander is the one leading the Royal Navy fleet against the Sirens, it's as I said before, a strategic figure. On the other hand, the Master is the person that we, the maids, serve personally."

"You…serve him?" It was my turn to be confused. "And why would you need such a figure? Don't you serve the Queen already?"

"Our loyalty to her will remain no matter what. But the Master is…"

At that moment, Belfast seemed to regress to that person I meet in the grocery store, a woman who appears to be full of doubts, her seriousness mask been lost.

"…?" I turned to Sheffield for an answer.

Her regular deadpanned face didn't change one bit as she said the following sentence.

"The Master is basically a sexual partner."

"Wha-?" I shouted, and the can in my hand inadvertently fell on the ground, staining the floor with beer. "Ah, shit. Do you think it's time for jokes now!?"

"I told you already. I never joke about matters such as this."

Startled, I turned to Belfast, waiting for a proper explanation.

She conveniently avoided my gaze.

And silence invaded the room.

"…"

"…"

"…"

None of us spoke for about two minutes, two long minutes.

Blinking, I took the fallen beer can, and I inspected it, looking at the small letter for the amount of alcohol in it.

"I know I am not much of a drinker, but I never thought I would get drunk with just one can." I said to myself, trying to find a logical explanation for the bizarre situation.

"She is…technically correct." Belfast said, still refusing to look at me.

"…."

Did I just let a bunch of perverts in my house?

"But it's not only that." She quickly corrected it. "The Maid Corps will assist the Master in everything they may need, like cleaning, cooking, acting as secretary, helping with work. We would devote ourselves to serve them as we serve her Majesty, with all our body and souls."

"And that includes intercourse?"

"…if the Master desires it, then it should be done."

My head suddenly started hurting a lot.

Okay, Ritsuka, focus. These superhuman beings are just asking you to their boss, nothing strange there, you have done that before already, right? Also, the sex is nothing surprising really, you were instructed that in case of emergency, mana transfer via sex was the most efficient method of supplying a servant mana versus giving other fluids like blood or saliva, the fact that these maids are willing to "serve" you in that way is basically the same thing.

Except it is not.

"Alright, I am done with this. My brain can't keep up with this conversation anymore." I stood up and walked towards the bedroom.

"Where are you going?"

"To bed." I realized the implication of those words. "To sleep, just to sleep. Don't get any weird ideas."

"But your answer...?"

"I really can't give you an answer when you suddenly say you are willing to go to that extent in your…service. Just give me some time, okay? Okay."

I didn't wait for her answer, and quickly entered my bedroom and slammed the door behind me.

* * *

Belfast looked as the door was closed on her face and sighed.

"Thanks for that." She said to the other maid.

"He would have eventually found out if he really became the Commander. It's better to let him know now." Sheffield shrugged, as she toyed with one of her guns. "In fact, it could help to recruit him; I am sure you have noticed how he looks at you, Belfast."

"It wasn't sarcasm." A small smile appeared in Belfast's face. "You truly helped."

"…? What do you mean?"

"You eased the situation by bringing up that topic, his hostility towards me could have increased if we continued talking. The fact that he didn't refuse altogether might be because of you, Sheffield."

"..." A conflicted expression appeared on the serious maid face.

Belfast noticed that.

"Even if you aren't entirely convinced yet, you helped to fulfill Her Majesty's wish at least a bit, you can be happy for that, Sheffield."

"I am. But Belfast, are you sure about making him the Commander?"

"That's what the Queen decided."

"What about the current Commander?"

Belfast's eyes twitched.

"I thought you didn't care about her."

Sheffield's eyes narrowed, she was evading the question.

"I am asking about you how I feel about her is irrelevant. "

"…"

Belfast didn't answer, and walked towards the window.

"My time is running out, I have to return to Marcia's side now." She once again tried to change the topic. "They are still searching for you, so you will have to remain here for the time being."

"So it's "Marcia" and not "Commander" now?"

Belfast lowered her head for a bit, and finally answered.

"…I will do everything for Her Majesty, Sheffield." Her silver eyes once again were filled with that fierce determination. "No matter what she asks, it will be done. That's my duty as the Head Maid."

And after saying that, she climbed the window and exited the building.

"…"

Sheffield didn't know how to feel about that.

On the one hand, she felt the same way, she would even throw her life away if it meant helping her Queen; serving her gave her a purpose, meaning to her life. However, Belfast's loyalty seemed different from hers. She couldn't put into words exactly how different, but It was as if it didn't come naturally from her.

As if she was trying her best to suppress herself.

* * *

"How did it go, Belfast?" A voice resounded in the maid's head. She was a few blocks of Ritsuka's apartment, hiding in a shadowy alley while waiting for Marcia.

"We didn't reach an agreement, Lady Warspite. And I am afraid it may be partially my fault."

"How so? Explain."

"It's because of our first meeting, he didn't take lightly that I acted like I didn't know anything."

"…I see. Does he look like a person who holds grudges?"

"He didn't when I first meet him, but maybe I failed to judge his character."

Fujimaru Ritsuka, the person chosen by the Queen to be the Commander.

The first thing Belfast thought upon seeing him from a distance was "unremarkable." He didn't seem like a person who could fight a Siren head-on or one who could command a fleet of shipgirls against the forces of the Siren.

After meeting him, she thought that he was a kind man, if only a bit nostalgic. That feeling was quickly changed as they talked a second time, when he showed a more hostile side. That frankly reassured her a bit, a Commander who was only kind had no place in the battles that are to come. It was good to know that he had a bit of backbone, even if that meant having more difficulty recruiting him.

"However, he didn't actually refuse, so I think we can try again later." Belfast assured. "In fact, Sheffield may be able to convince him."

"Huh, Belfast? Did you say that Sheffield will convince him?"

"Yes. It appears that they are getting along well."

Warspite chuckle.

"I see. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one".

It was a surprise for the head maid too. She couldn't remember seeing Sheffield talking that openly with a human before.

"So even if we didn't get an answer, the possibility is still there. I will say that to her Majesty, good work Bel- eh?" Warspite suddenly cut out. "Your Majesty? I am speaking to…wait, your Majesty…?"

Warspite voice was replaced by another.

"Belfast."

The maid immediately recognized that voice.

"Your Majesty."

She bowed, even though there was no one beside her in the alley.

"Good work today, you have brought us one step closer to securing a proper Commander."

"I did nothing special. It is Sheffield, the one that deserves Your Majesty's praise."

"Regardless, both of you are important to the Royal Navy, as our ears and eyes outside this prison."

"I was told that the humans have lessened the restriction though."

"Indeed, we can move more freely now that they are busy looking for Sheffield, but a prison is still a prison." Elizabeth sighed. "My patience is about to run low, It's time for us to make our move, Belfast"

"What should I do, Your Majesty?"

"Naturally, it's time to strike." The Queen declared determined. "We still can't directly intervene, not until we know for sure where they have the cubes, but that doesn't mean he can't act."

"He? Fujimaru Ritsuka?"

"Indeed, we will need his service now."

"But he hasn't agreed with us yet…"

"Sooner or later he will, it's only natural to follow the Queen of one's country."

"But…"

"You heard me, Belfast. We will put the plan on motion."

"…Yes, Your Majesty."

As she said that, she noticed that she was no longer alone. A woman in black uniform, with short crimson hair and look of relief, walked in the alley.

"Belfast. I was starting to doubt I would find you here."

"Commander…." The maid immediately recognized the woman; it was her Commander, the person that was her friend.

"Oh? Has she finally showed up? Good." The Queen still whispered on her mind. "Take a good look Belfast. Both of them, the Admiral and the Commander, they will pay for insulting us...for insulting the Royal Navy!"

"…"

"Belfast? Is something wrong?" Marcia asked, unaware of the voice inside Belfast's head.

Belfast clenched her fist with force.

"No, Commander, I have successfully accomplished my mission. I have met with the man of the shield."

* * *

"…"

I turned my head to the side, the digital clock in the nightstand marked 11:07 PM

I didn't remember the exact time I went to bed, but it felt like I have been staring at the ceiling for hours.

Yeah, I couldn't sleep, no after what just happened. Now my mind kept associating the word "Master" to sex and that bothered me, a lot. What a way to ruin an important part of my memories in Chaldea.

Also, I was hungry.

"Ahh…" with a groan, I got up. If I wasn't going to sleep, then I might as well prepare something to quench my hunger.

As soon as I left my room, I found that one of the maids, the serious one, was still in my apartment. In fact, she had a broom on her hands, and it appeared she was sweeping the floor.

"What are you doing?" I asked, as I rubbed my eyes.

"Cleaning."

"I see that, I am asking why you are cleaning."

And why you haven't left yet, this is my apartment, you know?

"I couldn't bear watching the floor so dirty any longer." She made a small reverence. "I apologize if that's how you prefer it, pest."

"…"

I sighed, It was clear she didn't plan on leaving.

Also, not a single comment about the sex thing, even when you were then one that brought it up? Sure, let's pretend that never happened and that my memories aren't forever ruined.

I walked toward the kitchen to serve me a glass of water. There, I drank in silence while watching how Sheffield kept sweeping around the place.

"…"

How did this happen, I wondered.

Two nights ago, I was right here, with no other company but myself, working on my student's papers and wondering how I would approach the next subject in the schedule.

And now, this woman was sweeping my floor dressed in a maid uniform, while another one was asking me to enter a war as some kind of military Commander. And everything happened in what? 48 hours? A bit more? It felt like entire months has passed since my only source of surprise was grading an exam with a perfect one hundred.

I sighed again.

Well, it's no use thinking about that now. Things are about to change, but this time, I am prepared for it.

This time I will take the bull by the horns.

"Sheffield."

"What do you want?"

"Do you like mashed potatoes?"

* * *

"Well, aren't you two cute together?"

Unknown to Ritsuka and Sheffield, there was someone observing the scene with sinister interest.

The pale woman was surrounded by hundreds of small floating screens that covered her like a small dome, each of them showing different images. The one she was directing her golden gaze at the moment had a clear image of Fujimaru Ritsuka's apartment. The man in question was currently in the kitchen accompanied by the shipgirl.

"To think that the pawn that disliked humans the most would be the first one to establish a "friendship" with one of them…interesting, very interesting."

She licked her own lips, as if savoring the moment.

"Could it be because of you?" She extended her finger towards the picture of Ritsuka, and caressed it. "Purifier did say you were somewhat special, was she talking about this?"

Although it was normal that most Commanders would feel more affinity with some pawns in particular, it was rare that they would get along with Sheffield so early, especially taking into account the parameters of the current simulation.

"I was sure the military woman would be the one chosen, but I can't deny you have potential, fufufu, I'll be sure to remember your face, little anomaly.."

Things in the Royal Navy were about to change. At last, the final big faction in the board will find their own Commander. Whenever it was the military woman or the strange man, she didn't doubt it would something worth observing.

"Now, speaking of potential…." She moved her eyes to a different screen.

This one showed a tall, demonic-looking woman in the center of an amphitheater of some sort. She was surrounded by a large group of men and women, they were dressed formally and most of them appeared to be of advanced age.

While the group of people showed various degrees of nervousness, like agitated breathing, shivering or sweating, the woman in the center just smiled.

"I thank all of you who decided to remain here in these hard times." The horned woman spoke, her voice was powerful enough to resound in the enormous building. "As a token of appreciation, I want all of you to hear my song." She extended her right hand, and from thin air, a conducting baton appeared. "I guarantee that it will bring peace to your hearts, my children."

She closed her eyes and raised the baton.

The moment she started moving it, and a melody came out of nowhere, as if an entire orchestra was behind her. The hypnotic song began to be heard in the whole amphitheater, following the baton's swift movements.

It was a beautiful song.

From the very first note, the people in the amphitheater couldn't help but to cry. They cried and cried. Even if they didn't find it emotional, they would cry either way; tears would be forced on their checks until they didn't have any water left in their bodies, as that was the woman's wish.

And they couldn't oppose her wishes, the same way a small child can't oppose her mother's authority.

The observing Siren smiled with satisfaction, as she hummed following the song.

It was a song of anguish and despair.

* * *

"I was thinking….don't you have anywhere to go?"

The fork in her hand stopped, as she directed me a look that said "Explain."

The food on the table consisted of the aforementioned mashed potatoes as a side dish, while the main course consisted of a couple of seared chicken breasts. It was a simple meal, appropriate for the average cook I was.

Not that I had anyone else to cook for besides myself, so it wasn't rare that I hadn't developed my culinary skills that much. As long as it didn't taste like shit, it was okay in my book.

"I mean, I thought you were created for protecting humanity from the Sirens and such." I explained.

"There's currently no Siren threat."

"Well, but what would happen if they attacked now, for example. Would you need to leave running to fight them?"

"Sirens attacks are rare, and for most of them, Belfast would be enough. However…" She inspected the portion of chicken in her fork, as if she had never seen one before. "If that "Purifier" attacked again, then I would have to go…no, probably all ships in the Royal Navy would need to be deployed."

She then brought the fork to her mouth and started chewing slowly, as if tasting every single bite.

If she liked it or not, she made no comment.

"So that was a special Siren?"

"Normally, the ones we fight are similar to robots, they don't show emotions, and they barely speak. That one was a complete deviant."

I had the feeling that was the case. However, that didn't mean I wasn't a bit relieved to know that there aren't hundreds of Purifiers out there. One is already enough.

"Though, I suspect you know all that already." She said nonchalantly.

"Huh?"

"As far as I am aware, you know more than you say, pest."

"You still don't trust me? Even after I cooked for you? How ungrateful." I said, half-joking as, I bring to my mouth some of the mashed potatoes. "Yeah, this turned out quite good."

"You don't trust us either."

"I don't trust Belfast." I corrected her.

A somewhat expression of confusion appeared on her face, it was a subtly change. But I was starting to recognize her change in humor; however small they were.

"Are you saying you trust me?"

"Trust is a big word, let's just say I am more prone to believe in what you say than anything that comes out of the other maid's mouth." I drank some beer.

Silence, I could almost see the question marks appearing above her head.

"Why?" She finally asked. "Have I not made it clear that I consider you a plague to be exterminated? Or could it be that you are a masochist?"

Please don't talk about kinks while wearing a maid uniform.

"Well, in my experience, there are a couple of things you can't fake. Hate is one of them."I didn't intend to, but I found myself speaking seriously. "You can fake love, friendship, or affection, and quite efficiently if you are use to it."

To my mind came back the smile of Kingu, so peaceful and friendly while he guided us towards our dead.

"But you can't fake hate, or at least it's a lot more difficult." I took another sip. "It's funny, but if you think about it, the fact that you tried to kill me is probably a lot more "honest" that what Belfast did with that little act."

"…"

She didn't say anything, and I resumed eating.

"Hmm, really, the chicken is nothing special, but this mashes potatoes…." I brought some more to my mouth. "I really outdid myself this time, maybe adding the milk did the trick?"

"Who are you?"

"…I am me."I said, simply. "Don't start with existentialisms; your food is going to get cold, and you really should try the mashed potatoes."

"I have met dozens of humans since I was created, and you are the weirdest of them."

I guess you don't meet trash magus who saved another world that often.

"I will take that as a compliment."

"It wasn't."

"I know." I continued eating.

"…."

More silence.

She stared at me for a couple of minutes, until she realized she wasn't getting a reaction.

Her eyes then moved to the plate where the mashed potatoes were, and with the same low movements as before, she took some with a spoon and brought it to her mouth.

"…It's decent." She said.

I smiled.

"I am glad you like it."

She didn't answer but continued eating regardless.

And so, the rest of the meal was enjoyed in silence, with the only the sound of the night in the background.

* * *

"I guess it's a bit late to ask but…you won't go anywhere, right?"

I was doing the dishes, and Sheffield was actually helping me this time. Apparently, making me do everything after she did eat some of the food would be a shameful display worthy of one of those "vermins", so she was by my side drying the plates with a towel.

"I was instructed to remain here by the Queen."

"I thought so. You don't want me to suddenly disappear if you leave me alone, right?"

"Not everything is about you, pest."

"Why then?" I passed her a saucepan.

"You don't need to know." She skillfully received it without even turning.

"Fair enough." I intended to drop the topic, but a sudden thought invaded my head. "Would you be obliged to tell me if I become the Commander?"

Her hands stopped.

She turned to me with a deadpanned stare, which said "don't try to use that logic."

"Don't worry, it's a joke." I chuckled. "I am still not sure if I want to take that responsibility."

Although it was entirely possible that I didn't have a choice.

"Even if you reject us, her Majesty won't take a no for an answer. Once she decides something, she will do everything to attain it."

"What about you, though? I take you won't be too happy having me as your boss."

"What I want is irrelevant." She said, drily.

"Even if you say that, a leader that no one truly follows or trusts is doomed to failure."

I was lucky at my time in Chaldea, I had time to learn how to lead people while I was getting to know my Servants. Even though I was the one giving the orders, they were the ones that taught me how.

Not that I believe that I am on par with Zhuge Liang now, I am just a bit aware of how leading people and morale works.

"I would hate every second of it, but if you truly become the Commander, then I would follow your orders."

"…" I gave her a surprised look. Even if she said that, I didn't feel any hostility in those words. Was her devotion to the Queen strong enough to force her to put up with her repulsion?

"Really? Any order?"

"If you are asking if I would sleep with you, then yes."

The plate in my hands slipped, making a loud sound as it crashed against the sink. It was a miracle that it didn't broke.

"I wasn't asking that!" I quickly retorted, feeling a bit ashamed. "I just wanted to know the extent of your loyalty…"

"The Master can't contradict her Majesty, that's the only restriction. You would be free to submit us in any kind of perverse play that you have in mind."

"…Hey, I am not that type of guy, you know?"

"You can't fool me pest, don't think I didn't notice how you look at Belfast."

"…why are we talking about this again? I don't think I am comfortable talking about this with you."

She released what I could only describe as the world's quietest chucked.

Wait, was she mocking me?

"You vermins give too much importance to intercourse."

"…"

Well, sorry for having been taught morals.

"Maybe you give it too little importance."

"We aren't like you, weapons like us don't care about such things. All I need to care about is how to serve her Majesty properly."

"…."

Again, she was contradicting herself.

She said she was a weapon, but a weapon shouldn't feel any emotion, nor even hate. It should move only to kill, disregarding anything else. But she does care about the Queen, or at least I think she does, and she clearly dislikes me. In my opinion, she failed as one already.

However, I didn't consider that something bad.

"That would change, though."

"Huh?"

"If I became the Commander, Master, or whatever you want to call it, I won't treat you as weapon."

"And how would you treat me?"

"As a comrade."

I passed another plate to her, as I have been doing since we started, but she didn't take it this time. Instead, she looked at me, directly to my eyes, as if trying to discern if I was lying or not.

I wasn't, so I looked back at her, showing how serious I was.

We didn't say anything, as we looked at each other.

"…"

"…"

It was almost like a competition, neither of us wanted to be the first one to look away.

"I mean it." I was the first one to break the silence, as it seemed that neither of us would back away.

"I don't believe you." Her gaze adopted a defiant look. "No human would call someone they hate their comrade, much less someone like me."

"…I don't hate you though."

"What…?"

"Do you think I would be talking with you like this if I did?"

"…."

The idea that I didn't hate her seemed to hit her hard, as she took the plate and continued drying the dishes without another word.

* * *

The conversation died down after that. Thankfully, there were only a few dishes left to wash.

"Done." I finished with the last plate. "I am not sure how late it is, but I am a bit sleepy." I rubbed my eyes a bit. "I am going to sleep, what are you going to do?"

I don't feel comfortable knowing she would be to be prowling around my house all night.

"Sleep." She said, but didn't look at me.

"I see…well, it's not much but you can use the sofa. I can bring you some mattresses if you want…."

"That won't be necessary."She didn't let me finish and sat on the sofa, still not looking at me.

She was acting strange, maybe I say something that I shouldn't.

"Alright."

Better leave her alone for now.

I walked towards my bedroom, but stopped before entering.

"Good night, Sheffield."

She waited a bit before answering.

"Good night."

* * *

She felt strange.

Being around him made her feel strange.

Up until to that point, the humans around her either treated her like she wasn't a conscious being or avoided her altogether.

And she honestly preferred that, interacting with the humans would bring the worst of her; and as much as she disliked them, going against them would only hurt Her Majesty's plan.

So when she found that man, someone who she considered a traitor, she actually felt relieved. Finally, she would put down one of those accursed humans, the ones that had insulted the Queen, forcing her to be their slave.

But that man, the man that she was going to kill….he…

She walked towards his bedroom; it was easy for her to unlock the door.

There, the man that survived her, the same one who showed a strange ability to heal her and the one who had hurt a Siren, was sleeping defenseless.

It was so easy to kill him that it felt like a joke.

A gun appeared on her hand.

She realized that she was disobeying Her Majesty's orders, and she hated herself for that. But she didn't know him, none of them actually know him. He was actually a powerful, unknown threat to the Royal Navy, not only because he had fought a Siren, but also for that strange power he possessed, the one that had been messing with her head since they started talking.

Why else was disobeying her Queen? Why else did she always find herself at a loss of words when they interact?

Why else did she feel, only for a couple of seconds, a little relieved when she heard he didn't hate her?

It must have a trick, yes. He was messing with her head, and he should be stopped.

She pointed her gun at his sleeping body, her finger on the trigger; she only needed to press it to end his life once for all.

"…"

Her hand trembled as she desperately tried to pull the trigger.

But she couldn't.

It was so easy before, so why she couldn't do it now?

"What….what have you done to me…?" She asked the sleeping man.

"Sheffield."

A voice resounded in her head, and her gun disappeared in the air.

"Belfast…?"

"Prepare yourself, Sheffield, Her Majesty's plan is already in motion."

* * *

The alarm ringed at 10:08 PM, even though I didn't remember programming it to sound at such a particular time.

It worked for me either way, sleeping until 12 could evolve into a bad habit, even if it was Sunday.

"Good morning." I exited my room, still half-asleep. and walked towards the bathroom. "How did you sleep, Shef-?"

I stopped, noticing that the maid was nowhere to be found.

"Sheffield?"

I looked around the living room, but she wasn't there; the bathroom was also empty, so she definitely wasn't in the house.

Did she leave? I thought she had been ordered to stay here, maybe something important came up.

Not that I don't appreciate some time alone, it should give me some time to work at peace. After all, I had neglected reviewing the lesson for Monday due to all this mess, so I could finally start working on that.

Or that's what I thought because I heard someone knocking the door.

Was that Sheffield? No, she wouldn't knock; it would be far easier for her to just enter using the window.

"Yes?" I approached the door, and asked.

"Fujimaru Ritsuka? It's the police; we need to talk about something related to the vandalism.

Oh, fuck me.

"Just a second."

I quickly went to the bathroom and washed my face.

I couldn't lie, I actually hoped they would forget about the broken things incident. Turns out, the police were actually competent this time, and they were investigating the case.

Maybe I would need to pay for the things I broke in the end….

While I thought that, I dressed in more proper clothes than a pair of pajamas, and finally went to open the door.

Behind the door was the officer that had come yesterday, this time accompanied by two other policemen.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

"Good morning, Mr. Fujimaru." The office spoke. "We have a suspect in custody for the vandalism case."

"…what? A suspect?"

"Some witnesses claimed to have seen him running away from here yesterday night. We need you to come to the station to identify him."

What is going on? There can't be a suspect…since it was me, after all. Did they arrest someone innocent? I take that thought of the police being competent back, they got the wrong guy.

"Eh…well…I am not sure if I can be of any help." I tried to wash my hands of the matter. "As I said yesterday, I slept the entire night, so I couldn't see anyone."

"I see…but it's part of the protocol that we ask everyone in the building."

They sure were being persistent.

"It would be a waste of time, though. I don't…"

As I spoke, I noticed that one of the policemen that haven't talked yet had his hand close to his gun holster, too close really.

A quick look to his face revealed a serious, but nervous expression. As our eyes met, I noticed how he avoided my gaze.

"It's protocol." Reiterated the officer, this time more seriously."We really need you to come to the station."

"I see." I realized the severity of the situation. "I will go with you then."

"...Thanks for your cooperation." The man's tone suddenly changed to a more relaxed one, as if a heavyweight had been lifted off his shoulders.

I picked my keys and took a last look at my apartment. Lord Camelot wasn't hanged in the wall like normally. Instead, it lay on the floor, where I had left it after my encounter with Purifier.

I looked at it for a couple of seconds until I finally accompanied the policemen.

* * *

I was sitting in a small cold room, with only a metal table and one chair in front of me.

Apart from the lack of the typical fake mirror that occupied half the wall, it was a classical interrogation room.

My hands weren't handcuffed, maybe because they thought it wasn't necessary or perhaps to maintain the illusion that they weren't arresting me.

I noticed from the start, though. They didn't want me to identify a suspect, this wasn't about the vandalism case at all. No policemen would be ready to shoot at someone if they only believed they broke a window.

This is something more, they knew something about me.

The question was: what did they know? I wasn't proud of it, but I had done some illegal things in these seven years.

Maybe they somehow found out that my documents are fake? That the person known as Fujimaru Ritsuka didn't exist until six years ago?

This was a dangerous situation for me, and especially for them. I would hate to have to resort to methods that I frankly don't like.

"…."

They have kept me waiting for about an hour now, and my mind was starting to get weird ideas... I was really no good being locked up.

I should be calm; everything is going to be okay. There's no need for anyone to get hurt.

Before my mind could develop more weird ideas, I heard the door being open. A woman with short red hair walked in, she was wearing a black uniform, which was closer to a military one than a normal police one.

She sat in front of me, and threw a brown binder in the metal table.

It had my name on it.

"…what am I being accused of?" I asked.

The woman didn't answer at first and just looked at me with a serious expression.

"You don't look like someone who could fight a Siren."

"…!? Who are you?"

"My name is Marcia Haydes, Commander of the Prototype Fleet." She put her hands on the table and moved closer to me. "We finally meet, man of the shield."

**END OF CHAPTER 8**


	9. Queen's Orders

For a long time, she didn't understand them.

"You were created to protect us." They repeated, over and over again, but not a single time did she felt as if she was actually protecting someone.

They ordered her to destroy, to use her fists to break things apart, to shoot her cannons and make things explode.

They ordered her to kill other beings.

And she carried out those orders to the letter. She broke, destroyed, and killed, but not a single time did they see her as a protector, nor did they see her as another living being.

They saw her as a weapon, a tool to be used to fight their enemies.

And maybe that was fine; perhaps that was the meaning of serving humanity. She was a maid, after all, her whole life revolved around serving others.

Her own feelings were, to put it simply, irrelevant.

And that's what she thought, until the day she met her.

Truth to be told, Belfast didn't exactly remember what they talked about on that occasion, though she was sure it must have been about the various Sirens' attacks and their possible next move.

What she did remember was the look on her amber-tinted eyes.

Even the head maid wasn't meticulous enough to remember such specific detail. However, she couldn't help it, since it was the first time someone looked at her like that: not as a weapon or a tool, but as another conscious being.

As if she was actually alive.

At that was…curious, to say the least.

* * *

The same eyes that looked at the maid in the past, with a mixture of curiosity and amazement, now were focused on the man in front of her, the man who is said to have fought a Siren with no help other than a shield.

Her gaze might have carried the same curiosity as before, but the situation was hardly the same.

While Belfast showed some degree of loyalty toward them, she couldn't predict this man at all; his real identity, as well as his alignment, was a complete mystery to them.

And that was too dangerous to be left alone.

"Ritsuka Fujimaru, born in 1998, on Fukui prefecture, Japan. "She opened the binder and started reading. "Immigrated to the United Kingdom in 2018, as a part of a study program in London. Four years on college until graduation, as a classic history teacher. Took a job in a local middle school two years ago, and is currently working there." Her eyes went from the binder to the silent man in front of her. "Is this information correct?"

"…"

He didn't say anything, his gaze was downcast.

"Criminal history is clear, not even a single infraction in six years." Marcia continued. "No close relatives living in the country and no known partner. If you didn't work, I could almost mistake you as a hermit, Fujimaru."

"…"

"And that's all the information we could gather from you in these couple of hours. As far as we know, you are nothing more than an average citizen." She closed the binder. "However, you and I know there is more than what it's written here."

"…I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Oh? So you can talk after all? Good. Why don't we start when you tell me who you really are?"

"…Who am I?" A quiet chuckled came out of his mouth.

"Did I say something funny?" She stared daggers at him.

"No. It just that someone asked me that very same question recently." He finally looked at her, his eye showed apathy. "And the answer is still the same; I am me, nothing more, nothing less."

"That's not answer."

"It's the only answer I have, sadly." He shrugged."What it says in that report is correct, I came here when I was twenty, studied in college, and got a job in St. Benedict's School. Also, I don't have many friends." He sighed." If you find that strange, then try immigrating to another country, it's quite a fun experience."

"Is that so?" Marcia didn't believe for a second that story. "Well, for someone who doesn't have many friends, you seem to be well accompanied."

"Huh?"

The Commander took a photo off the binder and placed it in the table.

"…Tch." His eyed narrowed.

It was a picture of Ritsuka's apartment; it showed him having dinner with a woman dressed in a maid uniform.

"Who is the woman?"

"…a maid."

Marcia felt a vein starting to pop in her forehead.

"And what's her name?"

"She told me it was Sheffield."

"Sheffield, huh? That's quite a weird name for a person, don't you think so?"

"My own name is quite rare here, I don't judge."

"I see..." Marcia was really starting to get pissed. "Then, how do you meet her?"

"…why is that important? Whoever I meet in my personal life shouldn't be of concern to the police."

"That would be true if that woman wasn't a sentient weapon of mass destruction." She explained calmly. "And you are wrong, it's not of concern of the police, rather, it's a concern to the entire nation."

"…!" The man eyes opened like plates for a second. Still, he ultimately didn't say anything, choosing to regress to his previous mute state.

"Her existence is a national secret; you could easily be labeled as terrorist just by meeting her unauthorized." Her calm tone was heavily contrasted with the harsh words. "It wouldn't be unusual for you to get locked in and spend the rest of your life in a dirty cell just for exchanging a couple of words with her."

"Look I…" The man finally started to show some nervousness. "I really don't understand what you're saying…You haven't even told me what am I accused of, and now you suddenly start calling me a terrorist? I have cooperated with you so far, but I think it's time to call my lawyer."

"There is no lawyer for you."

"What!?"

She closed the distance between them a bit and spoke in whispers.

"And even if you could have it, there will be no trial for you. As far as we are concerned, you are collaborating with an unknown species that are trying to eradicate humanity." She stared at him seriously. "No lawyer will defend you, no jury will find you innocent."

"..." He once again avoided her gaze.

"Pretending that you don't know anything won't help you either." She crossed her arms. "We already know what you did; it's useless to deny it."

The man didn't answer, but he definitely knew what Marcia was talking about. She could see it in his eyes. It was all an act; he wasn't confused by her words at all.

He knew everything, possibly even more than her.

"Your only option is confessing."

"Confessing?"

They needed to know, they really needed to know who this man was.

"Tell us everything you know about the Sirens and the prototypes, and we are willing to reach an agreement. We will let you return to your life, with only minor restrictions and constant monitoring, but only if you tell us everything."

It was a good deal, too good in Marcia's opinion.

But she was willing to make it through, as long as the man was willing to cooperate. It was her best bet of getting the information she wanted after all.

Otherwise, there were still some more unsavory methods to get the information they wanted, but Marcia wasn't an idiot; if he really fought a Siren, then she would be easily outmatched by him.

She would prefer this matter to be resolved as peacefully as possible. Still, just in case, she had posted Belfast just behind the door, ready to stop him if he made any strange movement.

He didn't instantly respond, but when he did, his voice had a tone of anger.

"…you will "let" me returning to my life?" He put a strange emphasis on the word "let."

"Yes." Marcia didn't miss that change on tone, but she had to continue pushing. "As long as you tell us your relationship with the Sirens, where to find prototype 05, and most importantly…"

She took another photo of the binder, the picture showed an enormous black and grey shield.

"The nature of this object."

Upon seeing the photo, the expression on the man's face suddenly changed for a second. The somewhat meek and detached expression disappeared and was replaced by a furious gaze.

"You…!"

The stare that the man gave to Marcia was one of absolute loathing as if the sole idea of them touching that object was enough to make him explode in rage. She briefly considered calling Belfast.

However, it didn't last.

The moment he seemed to start a rant, he stopped, and his eyes went once again to the photo of the shield as if realizing something.

Then, the previous rage-filled expression was replaced with a strange, almost mocking smile.

Marcia didn't like that.

"That's just a friend's antiquity. What of it?"

That was a lie; no one would make that expression just for some "antiquity."

"We know it already." She tried to put more pressure since it was clear that the object was important to him. "We know that you used this "shield" to protect yourself from the attacks of a Siren; it's only a matter of time until we discover how it works."

"Is that so? Go for it then."

"…Pardon?" Now Marcia was the one confused.

"You have my permission to study it if you want." Her voice suddenly adopted a defiant tone. "It was on the floor when I came here, and I presume it was still there when you goons entered my house." His smile didn't leave his face. "So, you are free to take it."

"…I will repeat my question, what is this object?"

"You tried it, didn't you? You tried to move it, but couldn't lift it at all." He started chuckling as if the Commander had made a joke. "I bet you couldn't move it an inch."

Marcia hit the table.

"I won't repeat myself a second time!" She felt herself losing the leading position in the interrogation." What is that shield? Some kind of new technology? A weapon!?"

The man laughed and shook his head.

"It's no use. Even I tell you, even if you put your filthy hands on it and try to decipher its meaning, you will fail." He stared at Marcia, his voice suddenly gained a tone of superiority. "You won't be able to use it, because you don't know anything about her."

"Her…? What does that mean!?"

"But it doesn't matter." He kept talking as if he was mesmerized with his own word. "People like you, who just want to take her power for your own gains…you don't deserve to know about her, you ignorant fool."

"…you are crazy." The Commander stood up and walked towards the door. "Maybe some time behind bars will help you understand your situation."

Marcia knocked on the door, and two policemen entered the room.

"Oh no, it's you, the one that doesn't understand! Locking me up won't change anything!"The policemen forcibly pushed him on the metal table, as they took both his arms and handcuffed him. "Her story, her sacrifice… you all… you all don't deserve it! You hear me!? You don't deserve it!"

He didn't resist as he was taken to an empty cell.

* * *

Marcia sat again in the now-empty interrogation room, sinking her face on her hands.

That hadn't gone well.

The military had people specialized in interrogations, Marcia wasn't one of them. Maybe she had gone too far. Perhaps she should have been less aggressive so that the man was more willing to cooperate.

Either way, she couldn't help but feel that she failed.

"Commander?" Someone called for her

She raised her head to see Belfast by the door. The maid wasn't wearing her usual outfit. Instead, she wore a black military uniform, a bit similar to the one Marcia was wearing, while her long white hair was done in a ponytail.

"Belfast, has he made any attempt to escape?"

"No, he seemed to have calmed down after we locked him in one of the cells."

"Is he being watched?"

"An officer is guarding just in front of his cell. If he makes any strange move, we will know immediately."

"Good." Marcia gestured Belfast to enter and to close the door behind her. "Do they suspect something?" Even if they were the only ones in the room, she spoke in a quieter tone this time.

"They don't talk around me; it appears that they are pretty shaken about the whole situation. However, it's safe to assume that they believe what you told them, Commander."

"It was to be expected. For the military to appear out of nowhere to start giving orders would make anyone suspicious."

It was sort of a miracle she could set up the operative to arrest Fujimaru so quickly, without the help of the local police, it would have been impossible.

However, their operation must remain a secret. The local police couldn't know about the existence of the prototypes or the Sirens.

They'll need to act quickly.

"We can't let him stay here for much longer." She took her cell phone out of her pocket, an old folding one. "We should move him from here as quickly as possible."

"Indeed, but we can't be restless either, Commander."

"…? Explain yourself."

"If we move him now, the policemen might start asking questions. It would be better if we do it at night and without that many eyes looking at him."

"That would be dangerous." Marcia wasn't convinced."Who knows when he may suddenly attack? I can't let him hurt the people here."

"You think he is just pretending to be a captive?"

"I…really don't know what to think anymore."

When Marcia was told that they had a new enemy, one that possessed technology that they had never seen before and could quickly sink their entire naval fleet in a matter of hours, she thought things couldn't get any crazier.

She was proven wrong once, as she was introduced to the prototypes.

Now, it was happening again.

It was one thing being told that some guy apparently fought a Siren; it was another thing being presented with a shield that it's impervious to all their tests, as well as being so heavy that even 10 people can't lift it.

She really didn't know what to expect next. At that point, it wouldn't be that strange for magic to be real.

"I won't be taking any risks. We are moving him to a safe house now." She started dialing.

"Commander, I really think we should wait." Belfast insisted. "Only a couple of hours will be necessary until most of the personnel leave. I will guard him personally until the time comes.

"…."

The Commander's fingers stopped.

She had noticed already; Belfast had been acting strange since the whole affair with the man of the shield started. It wasn't that her behaviors had changed drastically. It was more like subtle changes like been more adamant than usual or being more forceful with her words.

Something must have happened after they talked, something she kept hidden.

…

Marcia trusted Belfast, to some extent.

The fact that she told her about Fujimaru, as well as her ueen's plan to remove her from the commanding position should have been enough to guarantee her loyalty.

However…

"Belfast, is there something about that guy that you aren't telling me?"

However, no matter how much she wanted, she couldn't shake the feeling that Belfast wasn't being completely honest.

Belfast stared at her, the silver eyes meet her own, and for a second, she was transported back to when they meet for the first time. However, they didn't show the same light as back then.

They were different now.

"I have told you everything, Commander." She finally said.

"…I see." She stood up. "Go guard him for now, I'll prepare everything to move him to a safe house tonight."

"You have my thanks, Commander." Belfast made a reverence.

Marcia didn't answer and just exited the room.

Belfast was lying. She was definitely hiding something from her, but she couldn't know what. The only thing she hoped was that whatever she was hiding aligned towards them, towards humanity.

Because if it didn't, then she wouldn't be able to stop her.

At least, not her

She took her phone once again and started dialing a different number than before.

"It's me, sir." She spoke in a stern tone. "If you don't hear anything about me by tomorrow, then the prototypes betrayed us."

* * *

The admiral closed his phone with force and silently stared at it for a couple of seconds.

"Those pieces of junk…" He exited his office in a hurry and began to walk towards a specific part of the vast military base; some soldiers saluted him as he walked past them, but he paid them no mind; as he was too focused on Marcia's words.

He knew that this day would eventually come up. The question was: Were they prepared for it?

After walking for about ten minutes, he reached a metallic door. It looked no different from any other door in the base, aside from a small panel just to the side of it.

He put his hand on the scanner, and after a couple of seconds, the light on it turned from red to green.

However, the door didn't open immediately.

"Who is it?" Someone asked from behind the door after a couple of minutes.

"It's me, you idiot." He commented, with a tone of annoyance. "My hand is still attached to the rest of my body, let me in at once."

The door opened, revealing a man in a white coat, similar to that of a doctor. The man in question was a bit on the older side, his head was starting to show signs of baldness, and some wrinkles populated his face.

"Sorry, protocol; you know how it is, Admiral."

"Yeah, yeah, don't waste my time and show me your progress."

The old man smiled.

"You'll see."

Both men descended a staircase that seemed to go on forever until they arrived at a dark room. The room was completely empty, aside from a big window that occupied almost the entire wall; the dim light that came from it was the only thing that illuminated the room.

On the other side of the window, there was an even bigger room full of strange machines and people in white hazmat suits. They came and went around the two glass pillars that were the center of the room.

Inside, each pillar was a humanoid figure. Both of them were connected to a series of wires, as they floated unanimated in a strange glowing blue liquid.

The figures resembled human beings, but they were a far cry from them. Their skins were completely colorless, any kind of female or male trait was missing, and they also lacked nails and any kind of hair.

It was as if those beings were blank slates as if they were somewhat incomplete.

"They started reacting to some stimulus. " The old man said proudly. "With another month, we should be able to start testing their mobility outside the tubes."

"You have until tomorrow."

"…what?"

"You have until tomorrow, twenty-four hours at most, to wake them up and make sure that these ones actually follow our orders."

The old man couldn't contain his surprise.

"Do you understand what are you asking us? Any mistake could delay us months of work! They are simply not ready to…"

"We are all getting killed if you don't have them by tomorrow!" He took the old man by his coat. "I don't care how, but make them work! Isn't that's your specialty, Mr. creator of sentient weapons!?"

The old man wanted to say something but forced himself to remain silent.

"Last time you finished five of them in only a couple of months, you just have to do the same with these two." He released him. "Just make sure these ones don't have a personality."

The old man signed.

"I will speed the process..." He said reluctantly. "But, you know what happened last time we tried this."

"I am well aware, but I am willing to take the risk" He made a small pause. "Someone has to."

* * *

Good fucking work at staying calm, Ritsuka. Now you are in jail, precisely what you needed.

"Ahh, I want to hit myself in the guts so damn hard…" I lamented while lying on the hard prison bed.

I couldn't help it; I lost my temper when she said they would "let" me return to my life. Who the fuck do they think they are? After all, I have done, they dare to…!

No, stop it.

It's no use getting angry now, especially knowing that was the cause I ended up here. Better use my brain cells to think of a way out of this mess.

"And what a mess I got into…."

I stood up, and for the first time, I took a careful look at the cell I was in.

The only living arrangements were the bed I was on, it was so small that I would surely have half of a body out if I tried to sleep on it; a dirty sink that appeared to have been cleaned a month ago; and a toilet, which I refuse to even look at it. This hellhole didn't even have windows; the nights must be pretty dark in this room.

I walked towards the rusty steel bars that prevented my escape and looked to each side of the cell. No other prisoner was being held in the adjacent cells, and the only person aside from me in the room was a policeman, who seemed to be trying his best to ignore me.

I disregarded him and focused on the bars. A soft hit revealed that despite being almost more rust than steel, they were firm, no normal human would be able to break them with just their hands; fortunately, I wasn't exactly normal.

The problem, however, laid elsewhere.

"…."

I could easily break these bars using reinforcement, and I was sure I could knock out the guard before he could take his gun.

But then what? What was I going to do after escaping? If what that woman said was true, I won't be just a regular criminal, but a terrorist. I wouldn't be able to escape from the police for long if my photo was all over the news, let alone leaving the country.

"…"

I sighed deeply.

I was beating around the bush, as I knew perfectly how to solve this situation but…Did I really have to? After all these years…did I have to do it again?

I refused to consider that possibility. There had to be another way.

Maybe it was time. I didn't want to ask for his help again but…

As I was lost in my thoughts, I could hear a voice; the guard was speaking with another person, a woman.

I didn't have to wait to figure out who it was; she walked directly towards my cell.

And there she was, the woman I first thought was just a normal human buying things in the store, wearing a black military uniform.

"You again… "

"Fujimaru Ritsuka." She made a reverence as if she was saluting a superior. "After what happened between us, I really would have wanted for our next meeting to be under better circumstances."

"Alas, I am in jail, not the best circumstance for a conversation." I got as close as possible to her, gripping the bars. "Why are you here, anyway? And that uniform…you must be one of them."

"Marcia Haydes is our acting Commander; she leads the first line of defense against the Sirens."

"So that woman is your Commander….that explains why she seems to know about everything. However, that doesn't change anything; I am not telling you anything about the shield."

"I am not here for that, rather I wanted to apologize."

"Apologize?"

"Since we meet, I haven't caused anything but trouble for you, and that's unforgivable for a maid." The maid sounded genuinely sad. "You even ended up here because of me."

"Because of you? What are you-?" At that moment, I remembered something. "Wait…That woman, she showed me photos of my apartment, photos of Sheffield and me having dinner. I didn't overthink at that time, but…how did she know that we were together in the first place? Someone must have told her that I was with Sheffield."

"…" She didn't answer, but it was clear.

"All this…was your doing?"

"Due to some circumstances, I was forced to tell the Commander." Belfast lowered her head again. "Again, I am deeply sorry."

"I don't want your apologies!" I shouted furiously. "Nor do I want anything to do with you! Leave at once!"

"If that's what you want, I will." She looked at me seriously. "But I won't leave alone."

"What?"

The maid took a key from one of her pockets and walked towards the door.

"Wait, what are you doing?" I instinctively looked at where the guard was a few minutes before, he wasn't there. Did Belfast make him go away?

"The Queen doesn't approve for her chosen Commander to be a prisoner. You are to be released immediately."

Belfast opened the door for me.

"And you will let me go, just like that?"

"I am partially responsible for your situation; this is the least I could do."

"…."

The door was open, but I didn't move as I was baffled. Why would they go all the way to lock me here, just to release me a few hours later?

Something didn't feel right about this…

"If your Queen ordered for me to be released, then why you are the one letting me go instead of that woman, Marcia, was it?"

"Marcia Haydes acted on her own, ignoring Her Majesty's wishes."

"It feels like the opposite, actually. It's like you are acting on your own now."

Belfast didn't answer immediately, as if she was meditating her response.

"There is some friction between Her Majesty and our humans' allies, that's one of the reasons we wanted a human chosen by the Queen to be the Commander, however…" She suddenly went quiet.

"However?"

"It's nothing." It didn't continue. "We should get going now, once you meet the Queen, this misunderstanding should be cleared up."

She seemed to want me to follow her, but I didn't move.

"I am afraid I am not going anywhere." This might have been an excellent chance to get out of here, but I still didn't trust her. "Not until I am formally released."

Belfast stared at me for a second and released a deep sigh.

"They aren't going to let you go easily, Ritsuka. Commander Marcia is convinced that you know something…."She entered the cell. "…and she is correct, right?"

"…"

"Pardon me." Suddenly, she took one of my hands between theirs.

"What are you-?"

"Sheffield noticed that sometimes, green lines appear in your arms, and you seem to become stronger when that happens." She looked at my hand as if she was examining it. "You aren't like the other, are you? You are different."

"That has nothing to do with you." I took my hand away.

"Now that Marcia knows, she isn't going to leave you alone until she discovers what your involvement in this is. And even if you decided to tell her your secrets, you may not be able to return to your normal life, you may remain a prisoner for the rest of your life."

"And that would be different if I follow your Queen?"

"As a commanding officer, the Royal Navy will support you. By accepting her majesty proposal, you will get a rank similar to that one of her knights; you'll be above all other humans, and no one will be able to tell you how you should live. You won't have to hide what you are, you'll be free."

Above…all other humans?

"Are you saying that the will of the Queen is above human law? That I can do anything, I want as long as I follow her? That doesn't make any sense."

Even if the United Kingdom was under a monarchy, she shouldn't have that much power; there were a parliament and a prime minister, we weren't in medieval times anymore.

"Her Majesty's will is absolute. Once she regains her throne, some things will surely change, but it will be for the better, you don't have to worry about it."

Regains the throne? What is she talking about…?

At that moment, something in my mind clicked, and everything began to make sense.

Could it be…that I was mistaken from the start?

"Belfast...who…who is your queen?" I asked, with a bit of fear.

"Queen Elizabeth I, the rightful owner of the throne."

* * *

Two girls walked through the halls in the subterranean lab. One of them had a confident smirk while the other, who followed her close behind, had a somewhat troubled expression.

"Your Majesty…"

"Yes, Warspite?"

"Are you sure this is going to work?"

The Queen smiled.

"It's Belfast, the one we are talking about; I have no doubt in her performance."

"Ah, don't take me wrong, I trust her too. But the human…."

"Fujimaru Ritsuka, what about him?"

"Are you sure he will side with us? We haven't even talked directly with him yet." Warspite couldn't hide her worry; all they knew about that man was through the maids after all.

"Belfast will convince him, I am sure of it. Besides…" She looked around the base, all she could see around her were the steel and concrete wall, the same one that prevented her from seeing the light of the day. "He has a reason to choose us now; it's unthinkable for someone to side with their captors, with the people robbing his freedom." A sad smile appeared on Elizabeth's face.

"Your Majesty…"

Warspite wanted to say something, but someone interrupted their conversation.

"You two…what are you doing roaming around the base!? Who let you leave your room?" A furious soldier shouted as he began to approach them.

"Don't talk like that to her Majesty!" Warspite tried to put herself between the man and the Queen.

"It's okay, Warspite." Elizabeth, however, walked past her to face the man directly. "Let me handle this."

"You'll have to return to your-"

"Hear me out! Oh, dear citizen!" Elizabeth interrupted him, shouting with her characteristic commanding tone. "What you are doing is incredibly disrespectful! However, I, the Queen, in my infinite benevolence, will forgive you!"

The man remained speechless for a second, but starting shouting again once the initial shock had passed.

"You defective weapon. Who do you think you are!?" The man tried to force Elizabeth to return to her room, but he stopped before his hand could reach her.

No, he didn't stop. He was forced to stop. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't lay a finger on the shipgirl, as if an invisible force was preventing him.

"You, and this entire base, are misguided. But it's not your fault, no, you only lack good leadership." Elizabeth nodded to her own words.

The man's hand, a few centimeters away from Elizabeth's face, started trembling, as he suddenly felt a freezing sensation going through his body. What was happening to him? Something like that never happened before.

"Soon, you'll see how wrong you are, and when that time comes, I'll be there to gladly accept your apology!"

He felt strange…he felt like the sole idea of touching her was forbidden, as if laying a hand on the shipgirl would be the most nefarious of the crimes.

He felt, for some reason, that he mustn't touch her. Instead, he must…

"This…this isn't going to stay like this…" He quickly withdrew his hand and went away, leaving the two shipgirls alone again.

As he walked away from them, he began to feel like his old self again. All those weird sensations started to disappear.

But what was that? Why did he feel that he must kneel before her? She was a weapon, a tool, he couldn't possibly….

The man quickly erased these thoughts of his head. He was just tired, he thought.

That was the only explanation.

* * *

"Your Majesty…? What was that?" The knight couldn't help but ask.

"I told you, Warspite." The queen continued walking as if nothing had happened. "They are beginning to understand."

"Eh..?"

"They finally see it, who the real monarch of this country is."

* * *

My heart almost skipped a beat as I heard Belfast's answer.

I was wrong, I was wrong all along.

I thought the Sirens as the only enemies, but these maids, this…"Royal Navy" they weren't exactly the good guys either.

This "Queen" Belfast speaks of wasn't the current queen of the country; instead, it was someone who thinks she was the Queen or someone who wanted to occupy the place of the Queen, possibly one of these "weapons."

And if Belfast words were the truth, they were likely planning a coup d'etat.

Things were far grimmer than I thought. I could no longer remain passive in this situation, who knows what could happen if that person really overthrew the government.

It was time to play my own cards in this whole mess.

"Belfast." I suddenly put my hands on her shoulders. "I accept your proposal."

"Eh?"

I couldn't fight both of the Sirens and these maids by myself, but maybe there was another way, a way to put one of these two forces against the other.

"I have decided, I'll be you Commander…no, I'll be your Master."

**END OF CHAPTER 9**


	10. Taking the Reins

"I had no choice but to tell the Commander about Ritsuka's existence. I deeply apologize, Lady Warspite." The Knight heard the maid's voice in her head.

"No, it's not your fault, Belfast. If her Majesty hadn't mentioned him so openly in the first place, this wouldn't have happened." Warspite sighed.

She respected Elizabeth, as a leader and as a Queen. However, sometimes she wished she was a bit less effusive. Now, in addition to having to think on the way to convince Fujimaru to join them, they also had to protect him from the military. All these while they still were unable to act freely or leave the laboratories.

"…."

Or do they?

Perhaps there was a way to turn these two problems into a solution?

"Wait for a bit, Belfast; I have something to talk with her Majesty." Warspite closed the mental link and approached Elizabeth, who was peacefully drinking her tea on the other side of the table.

She began to whisper to her ear.

"Your Majesty, I thought about something. Maybe we could use this as an opportunity."

"Oh?" Elizabeth quietly left her cup on the table.

"We could offer Ritsuka protection from the military, as long as he decides to join us as a Commander, that way we-"

"But, of course, Warspite, that was my intent all along." Elizabeth puffed out her chest as if she was proud of herself.

"Eh?"

"As expected of my knight, you even thought the same plan as me."

"…" For some reason, Warspite didn't believe she had planned that far ahead.

"Naturally, we should show Ritsuka how this fake government acts; that way, he would see the truth, and came to me, the real Queen!"

"Hmmm…yes, I suppose." Warspite decided to save her comments and just agreed. "Then, should Belfast tell him that?"

"Not yet."

"Not…yet?"

"He has to experience it, the injustice of being unjustly imprisoned." Elizabeth's tone suddenly turned serious. "That's the only way he would understand us."

"…"

Warspite would be lying if she said she wasn't worried about Her Majesty. She also didn't like being incapable of leaving, she shouldn't be imprisoned here; she should be in the frontlines, fighting the enemies of the Royal Navy.

However, the confinement seemed to be affecting Her Majesty differently, even though she retained her cheerfulness for the most part, there were times that she didn't recognize her.

"Ah, and Warspite."

"Y-yes, your Majesty?" She was so deep in those thoughts that her voice surprised her.

"Tell Belfast that if the Commander tries to stop her, she has my permission to remove her." She retook her cup in hand. "There is no need for two Commanders in the same fleet, after all."

"…Yes, your Majesty."

* * *

"It's time." Marcia said as she arrived at the room where Ritsuka Fujimaru was being held.

The man in question was sitting on the prison bed, with the same expression of detachment as before. However, this time his eyes were focused on the person that was acting as his guard.

In the same way, Belfast was fiercely looking at him, to the point that the Commander was unsure if she should get between those two.

"Did he try anything?" The Commander approached and asked Belfast in a low tone, as if not to disturb her.

"No, Commander, he had been silent the entire time." Answered the maid, her eyes didn't leave Ritsuka for even a second.

"Good, everything is ready." Marcia put a pair of handcuffs on Belfast's hands. "Put these on him, we are going to move him to a more proper location."

"Understood." The maid finally broke eye contact and went to open the cell.

"This doesn't have to be like this." Marcia finally spoke to the prisoner. "The deal I offered still stands, Fujimaru."

"Give me back my shield, and get me out of this hellhole." He answered in a serious tone. "Then, I may consider your offer."

"You know I can't do that."

"Then, my answer is still the same."

Marcia sighed.

"A shame."The conversation was over. "Hold him tight, Belfast. You have my permission to use force in case he tries anything."

"Yes, Commander."

* * *

It was already late at night when the Commander and her prisoner left the police department. An armored truck, accompanied by a couple of police officers, was waiting outside.

"Are you sure you don't want escorts, Commander Haydes?" One of the officers asked Marcia. "We could arrange at least a few patrols to follow you."

"No, it's fine. We'll take care of him from now on." She reassured him. "Thanks for the help, officer."

"Anytime." The man didn't say it, but he was secretly happy that such a criminal was finally leaving his department.

At that moment, that man walked past him. He followed his downcast figure with his eyes; his arms and legs were chained together, and near behind him was the woman of the silver hair.

He didn't exactly know what he had done. Still, it must have been something serious if the military was so desperately trying to catch him while maintaining the most secrecy possible at the same time.

Yes, he knew that they were hiding something. Denying someone the right to a lawyer or even a simple phone call was not a very common practice, and frankly, it didn't sit right with him. However, he also knew that some things were better left alone, as he didn't want to deal with military affairs more than he should.

As for the man itself, the "terrorist," he hadn't had the chance to speak with him, but he did notice something about him. From a distance, he looked no different from your everyday man, but that impression radically changed when they took him to the cell after the interrogatory.

The man was screaming like a madman, repeating "you don't deserve it, you don't deserve it." over and over again, to the point that he wouldn't look out of place in a mental hospital. But what caught the officer's attention wasn't that. Instead, it was his eyes; those eyes were the ones of someone who had completely lost it.

It was not a mad gaze per se; it was more like a gaze of someone who wasn't seeing the same reality as the rest of people.

Someone who was convinced he was the one in the right.

If he had to be honest, that man unnerved him. He really hoped that he would never have to deal with someone like that again.

The last he saw of the man was him silently getting into the back of the armored truck, his figure disappearing as the doors were closed.

* * *

The trip was silent, as no one in the back of the truck dared to speak a single word; you could almost feel the tension in the air.

I was chained to my seat, both my arms and legs were held together with a steel chain. Apart from Belfast, who was sat opposite of me, there were four armed soldiers, two sitting at my sides and two next to Belfast; I wondered what purpose they served there, though. Were they another precaution in case Belfast couldn't stop me? The commander should know that if the maid couldn't, none of them could.

Perhaps it was just to keep appearances.

My eyes went to the aforementioned maid; her expression remained as neutral as usual. Even though she was basically betraying her current commander, she could easily pretend as if nothing had changed.

"…"

She really had a talent for deceiving people, and I knew that first hand. That's why I had to be especially careful around her. I should act as how I was expected me to; as a leader…as a Master.

Not that It would be the first time; I had to deal with a few Servants of dubious loyalty in Chaldea before. I still clearly remembered those times when Mephistopheles showed up in my room at 4 AM, screaming how much his scissors shined in the dark or that other time I was cuddling with Jack, and she suddenly began to describe how warm it must feel to cut me apart and enter inside my abdomen.

So yes, I should have enough experience to maintain the façade long enough to meet that "Queen." After that, I wasn't sure what I would do. Ideally, I would be able to convince her.

Otherwise…it will be the same as with Goetia.

At that precise moment, Belfast suddenly winked at me.

That was the signal. It was time.

I looked around the place and spoke for the first time in a long while.

"I know you are just doing your jobs," I said to the four men. "So, if you don't resist, I promise it's not going to hurt that much."

I didn't wait for an answer and started reciting my aria of reinforcement.

* * *

Marcia was deep in thought while she drove the armored truck.

What would she do once they arrive at the safe house? She still hadn't gotten any information from Ritsuka, and it didn't seem he would be cooperating any time soon.

Maybe it was time to finally tell the Admiral about Ritsuka's existence.

Even if she had failed to gather any useful information, she still had the "shield." They couldn't move it to the base, yes, but the fact that it was made with a technology that possibly rivaled those of the Sirens was already something.

They only need just more time to…

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted, as one of the men who were guarding Ritsuka spoke up through the small barred window that connected the driver's seat to the back of the truck.

"Commander! The prisoner is talking in a strange language! Should we-"

Marcia couldn't answer, as she no longer heard her subordinate; because what appeared in front of her took her breath away.

She immediately hit the brakes, and the armored truck stopped in its tracks.

"Commander!? What's wrong!?"

The road was silent. No other vehicle could be heard in the distance. The dim light of the lamps showed a woman standing on the path of the truck. Her distinct black and white maid uniform could have been missed in the darkness of the night. What couldn't possibly be missed was the unsympathetic gaze of her only visible eye; the bright amber iris seemed to shine in the dark.

"She…ffield?" Was the only thing Marcia could mutter before the maid made her move. With inhuman speed, she approached the armored truck, her right fist raised.

And she hit it. With her bare hands, she hit the truck with enough force to crush a military tank.

* * *

I finished my aria, and I braced myself for the impact. Not a single second after the glowing green lines appeared on my arms, the armored truck was struck; the force sent the unknowing guards reeling towards the end of the truck.

I would have met the same fate if it wasn't for Belfast. A second before the truck was hit; she was already beside me, her strong arm held me safely on the place.

At that moment, we were close. Our eyes locked at each other, her face a few centimeters away from mine, the quiet sound of her breathing.

Maybe because we were like that, face to face, that I noticed something.

Her heartbeat, I could feel it through her arm…it was more accelerated than I expected. Could it be that she was actually nervous? Knowing her, I thought she could keep that calm demeanor in any kind of situation.

Also, it might have been just my imagination, but I could swear her arm was trembling a little.

We stayed like that for a maybe a minute, until she moved her gaze towards the fallen guards. Two of them, the ones that were closer to the end side, were unconscious, the others appeared to just be stunned and were starting to regain their sense.

We didn't let them.

I quickly broke the chains that were holding my arms, and with a swift move, I shot a gandr toward one of the guards. The black energy sphere hit him on the forehead, knocking him out cold. The other one didn't fare any better; as soon as I moved my hand to also shoot at him, Belfast had already deal with him.

"Good work." I said to the maid, as I broke the chains on my feet.

"I should be able to do this much, Master." She answered as if it was the most natural thing while extending her hand toward me.

I chuckled at the gesture.

"I would be a bit disappointed if you couldn't." I took her hand and stood up. "Let's get out of here, shall we?"

"As you wish." She said, and with a powerful hit, she broke the truck door. We jumped outside the vehicle to find Sheffield, carrying a human body like it was a suitcase.

"Former Commander Marcia Haydes." She immediately threw her unconscious body beside our feet. "What shall we do with her, Master?" She said that last word with a slight tone of annoyance.

"You know, you don't have to call me that if you don't want, Sheffield."

"What shall we do with her, pathetic excuse of a vertebrate life form?"

"...yeah, I prefer Master." I kneeled down beside Marcia and checked her pulse; she appeared to be a bit hurt, but her life didn't seem to be at risk. "Break her phone, and any kind of communication item, like with the rest of them." I ordered.

Sheffield being Sheffield, however, gave me her classic disapproving look.

"What? If you want something to say, just say it." I stood up.

"She is one of the enemy leaders. Losing her would throw the rest of them into disarray."

"And?" I gave Sheffield a fierce look. "What do you propose, Sheffield?"

"I am sure you know what I am talking about, pest." Sheffield looked back at me, defiant.

"Master, Sheffield, we don't have time for this now." Before a fight could start, Belfast interceded. "People will surely arrive soon."

"Right." I continued talking to Sheffield. "I obviously know what you are talking about, Sheffield. And we'll do just that."

"Eh?" Belfast seemed to be surprised by my decision, a sudden look of worry appeared on her face.

I didn't miss that.

"We'll take her hostage; she could serve as a good bargain chip in case things go south." I turned to the other maid. "Belfast, can you carry her?"

"Ah…yes, Master." Belfast seemed to remember that she was the head maid, and went back to serious mode.

"You don't have the guts to kill her." Sheffield whispered on my ear while the other maid approached Marcia's fallen body.

"Neither do you." I whispered back. "Or do you think I believe that was your strongest hit? If you wanted to kill her, you could have easily crushed her to death just now."

Sheffield immediately lowered her head.

"I am just a lowly maid; I have to follow my Master's orders." She raised it again to look at me directly in the eyes. "Even if that's Master is you, pest."

"Is that so…?" I did tell her through Belfast to not kill anyone if she could help it. It seems she was following my orders. "That obedience it's not quite like you, Sheffield."

"I said it before, and I repeat it now." She spoke seriously. "I will follow your orders, no matter how wrong I believe they are."

"…"

I sighed.

That's a dangerous mindset, but one that benefited me.

"I am not asking for much; just don't kill anyone, alright?"

"Don't worry; the only one I want to kill right now is you, my dear Master."

"…good to know that we get along so well." I patted her in the back as if we were the best friends ever. "But as Belfast said, we don't have time for time this. Let's continue once we aren't on the road full of knocked-out soldiers, shall we?."

I walked towards the unconscious soldiers and started looking for any kind of communication device.

* * *

After getting rid of their mobiles and breaking their guns, we were ready to leave the place.

"Are you sure you don't need help, Master? Sheffield should be able to carry you with ease." Belfast asked, with Marcia on top of her shoulder.

"Trust me, I'll be fine by myself." I prepared to reinforce my legs. "Also, I have the impression Sheffield may "accidentally" drop me at some point."

"I would never such a thing, Master." She said that, but she was smiling.

Wait, she was smiling?

I looked at her, surprised for a couple of seconds until that smile of hers disappeared.

"What?"

"Nothing." I tried to ignore that and focused on my reinforcement. I closed my eyes and began to feel the od going through my entire body. While focusing on my legs, my magic circuits activated.

I opened my eyes to see the glowing green lines going from my hips to my feet.

"I still don't understand how you do that." Commented Sheffield, as she approached to see more closely.

However, I quickly stepped back, with a powerful stride thanks to the reinforcement.

"I'll tell you one day, but not now." I turned back. "Let's go!"

Not waiting for an answer, I sprinted for a bit and jumped, my jump easily reaching a couple of meters in the air, and landed on the rooftop of a small building. Not a single second after I landed, the maids were already there too.

"You are not as fast as you think, my dear Master." Said Sheffield, and continued her way jumping between buildings.

"Well, isn't she competitive?" I said to the other maid.

"She isn't usually like this; I think she only likes to compete with you, Master."

"Hah, that's a not fair competition by any means." As I said that, I began to follow Sheffield, with Belfast close behind.

* * *

"Understood, I'll tell her Majesty immediately." Warspite cut the mental link. "Your Majesty, Belfast and Sheffield had successfully released Ritsuka from their captors."

"Excellent." Elizabeth took her scepter with her and began to walk away from her room. "Come with me, Warspite."

"Ah…yes." She started to walk behind her. "Where are we going, Your Majesty? It's time to finally leave this place?"

"Not yet, my friend. In fact, we are doing the opposite."

"Eh?"

"The new commander will arrive soon, so it's time to prepare this base for his arrival." She started looking around the place as she walked. "It's so dark and gloomy, a far cry of what a proper Royal Navy base should be like, but maybe with a bit of paint here and there…"

"Hey." A soldier approached the two shipgirls, not a minute after they had left the room. "The Commander ordered not letting you roam around the base, return to your room."

"Don't bother her Maje-" Warspite once again wanted to serve her role as the Queen's personal knight, but Elizabeth walked towards the man.

"Perfect Timing." Elizabeth completely ignored what the man had said. "We need to find someone, a soldier that normally has rounds around here. I didn't get his name last time, but he has brown hair and should be around this tall." Elizabeth raised her arm and made a gesture of his approximate height.

"Johnson? He asked to be reassigned yesterday…wait, why am I telling you this? I said that you must return to your room now." The man's voice turned serious.

"So his name is Johnson, huh? And where could he be?"

"I said that you must-" The man tried to grab the shipgirl by the shoulder.

"Stop right there!"

But his hand was stopped by a mysterious force.

"Do you think you can lay your hand on the Queen as you please!?" Elizabeth shouted in a commanding tone and hit her scepter on the floor. "Know your place!"

The man seemed to have frozen in time, his arm still extended as if he was trying to grab her, but his expression showing deep fright.

Elizabeth smiled.

"Let's go Warspite, we'll find Johnson by ourselves." Elizabeth walked away, followed by a confused Warspite.

"I am sorry, you Majesty, but I have to ask…what is going on?"

"No need to worry, my knight." She reassured her. "Everything will become clear once we find Johnson."

* * *

"I say it now, don't try it. You will fail miserably."

"Come on, Richard, don't you have at least some faith in me?"

"Not in the slightest." Reaffirmed the soldier, while he took a look around the apartment, trying his best to ignore his colleague's antics. "I saw like ten people trying to lift it at the same time, and it didn't even budge, you are just losing your time, dude."

"That only means they weren't the chosen one." The other soldier commented with strange enthusiasm.

"What?" Richard could only stare at him.

"It's the same as with Excalibur, only the one capable of ruling Britain could remove it from the stone." The man crouched beside the shield. "Don't you think it's the same here, but with a shield instead of a sword?"

"…wait, that's the sword in the stone, not Excalibur."

"Same thing, you know what I mean." The other soldier put his hands around it. "I wonder, will I be worthy or not?"

The other man released an exasperated sigh; he only hoped no one would know that they were messing with what the Commander described as "an important piece of unknown technology."

Although, pretty much everyone, including the Commander herself, had tried to lift it, so maybe it wouldn't hurt to let one more person made a fool of himself. If anything happened, he only had to shift the blame on him, after all.

The soldier firmly held the shield with both hands and tried to lift it. He didn't put too much force at first, but once he realized the shield wasn't moving, he decided to put all his strength on the task.

However, as Richard had said, it was useless; the shield remained motionless on the floor.

"Arrrgh." The man stepped back, his arms hurt. "It's like it's glued to the floor!"

"Told you so." Richard wasn't surprised. "That thing must weight a ton. I have no idea how that guy supposedly wields it."

"Huh, maybe there is a hidden button to make it lighter or something." The man started touching around the shield again.

"A button? Hah." He laughed. "And where did that "chosen" crap go to?"

"Come on, it was a joke. No way things like magic swords or shields exist."

"They do, though." A new voice resounded in the room, one that they haven't heard before.

Both men immediately looked at the source of the voice, and they found a man by the door. He appeared to be in his late twenties, he had short black hair, and his face was a bit of obscured by a 3-days beard, his navy blue eyes fiercely gazed at them.

There was a minute of silence before any of them could respond.

"W-who…who are you!? How did you get past the-" Richard tried to approach the man, but he immediately stopped upon seeing what was behind him.

The door of the apartment was wide open, revealing the bodies of the men guarding the place, they laid on the floor motionless.

"You bastard!" Richard tried to take his gun, but before he realized, the man was just centimeters in front of him.

"I can't let you do that." Was all he said before hitting him on the chest with the palm of his arm.

He was sent flying towards one of the walls, the air in his lungs leaving his body in mere seconds.

"Richard!" shouted the other man, as he drew his pistol and pointed towards the man. "Freeze, now!"

"Sheffield."

"…!?" The man suddenly fell a presence behind him, but it was only for a moment, he couldn't react as someone dressed in a maid uniform had hit him from behind, knocking him instantly.

Richard observed the situation with helplessness. Who was that man? How could he take on a trained soldier with just one punch? And most importantly…why was the missing prototype with him, and why did it seem to follow his orders?

The strange man walked toward the shield, and he couldn't believe what happened next.

He reached out to the shield, and with a single hand, he lifted it.

"I am back, sorry for leaving you here, Mashu." The man talked with the shield as if it were a living being."I promise it won't happen again."

Then, his gaze turned toward him and slowly approached.

Richard tried to get away, but his chest hurt like hell. Were his ribs broken?

"Believe me; I don't like any of this." The man said, with a tone of resignation. "But life isn't fair for anyone, not me, not you."

After saying that, he hit Richard with the side of the shield.

And everything turned black.

* * *

After some time, Elizabeth found the person she was looking for. Johnson was doing his rounds in a different part of the base, one that was actually quite far from the Queen's quarters.

Upon seeing the two shipgirls, an expression of nervousness appeared on his face.

"W-what are you two doing here…?" He stuttered like he was afraid of them.

Elizabeth smiled.

"Fear not, oh cherished citizen! Because I, the Queen, know what disturbs your dreams!" Elizabeth started to approach the man.

"Don't get close!" The man stepped back until he was stopped by a wall.

"Since that day, the day we talked, you have been feeling unwell, am I right?"

"I said don't get close!" He took his gun and pointed it towards Elizabeth.

"Your Majesty!" Warspite was ready to take her sword, but her Queen stopped her with a gesture of her hand.

"You feel, deep inside you, that something is terribly wrong." She continued approaching him. "But no matter how much you try, you can't pinpoint the reason."

The man shot at Elizabeth. However, his hands were shaking so much that he missed.

"I can tell you, I can tell you what torments you."

Elizabeth was so close to him; that he wouldn't have failed if he had fired again. But he couldn't, he no longer could pull the trigger.

The pistol fell off his hands, and he too, fell on his knees, feeling weakened.

Elizabeth put a hand on his shoulder, at that position; she was taller than him despite her small height.

"You realized the truth. You are the first one in this base to finally be able to see the truth."

The man raised his head and looked up towards Elizabeth.

"Search in your heart, you know what the truth I am speaking of is."

"I..I…" He doubted at first but finally reached an answer. "I don't know...why I took me so long to understand."

The man lowered his head until his forehead was touching the cold floor.

"You…you are the true monarch of this country…you are…my Queen….our Queen."

"I am!" Elizabeth shouted with pride. "And I won't rest until every person in this country recognizes as such! Will you help me in my quest to reclaim the throne!?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Johnson shouted, his voice full of loyalty.

"That's what I wanted to hear! You can raise your head, soldier Johnson, we have a lot to do in this base!" He turned around and walked toward Warspite. "Did you see that, Warspite? My charisma finally went through him! With this, we'll be able to return to the position we have been robbed, we'll stand as the leaders of this country once again!"

Having said that, she walked away, followed by the now loyal Johnson.

Warspite was stunned.

She was sure that wasn't how charisma worked.

**END OF CHAPTER 10**


	11. The False Knight

I suddenly heard a familiar sound coming from my bedroom.

I didn't need to check, I was sure it was my mobile; apparently, I had left it on my nightstand the night before and forgot to bring it with me when the police came. The dull ringtone I had chosen a few years ago informed me that I got a message.

As I took the phone in my hand, I could see a few words appearing on the phone block screen.

15 message, all from the same person: Arthur, my….friend? Were we friends? Let's settle with colleagues. They were sent at different times, however.

The first ten or so were sent on Friday night, and by the language and grammatical errors, I could assume Arthur wasn't in his most sober state when he sent them.

A couple more were sent on Saturday morning, commenting how much his head hurt and asking me how I had dealt with the hangover.

The last one was sent just a minute ago, and it was just a "hey man, u okay?"

Well, wasn't he nice?

A bit too nice in fact, to the point I kind of regretted what I was about to do.

"Is something wrong, Master?" Belfast, appearing by the door, asked, maybe seeing my conflicted face or perhaps because I had just left the living room without a word.

"Not really, just making sure that I don't lose my job."

"…?"

I was probably going to disappear for a couple of days, maybe more, so I needed an excuse for my absence, and I was going to use Arthur for that.

Thus I quickly invented a story about someone breaking into my apartment (a thing that actually happened). I was now dealing with police and legal matters (something that was also partially true) and sent it to Arthur. Ideally, I would have liked to speak with the director personally. Still, it was a bit too late for that, so hopefully, this would be enough to explain my absence in the following days.

"Master, forgive me if this question troubles you, but….Do you really think you'll be able to return to your normal life after this?" The maid's tone was serious.

That question surprised me for a bit, but I understood what she meant.

She was asking if I had what it takes to take my position seriously. I was now a "Commander" after all; of course, she would worry if she sees me thinking about the past instead of my responsibilities as a leader.

"I like to think that I would at some point." I answered as honestly as possible. "Even if it wasn't really my calling at first, teaching kind of grew on me."

"Master….even if we manage to successfully reinstate Her Majesty on the throne, the Siren threat will still exist." Her tone had a certain degree of pessimism."We still don't know their real objectives, and we have failed to gain a concise victory against their forces so far…it pains me to say it, but it's most likely that the impending war won't end anytime soon."

Yes, I was aware of that. Something inside me told me that this wouldn't end so quickly.

It was never that easy.

"Don't worry, I know what I have to do, Belfast. You can trust that I will put my all in fulfilling my duty."

That being, stopping your Queen before she does anything crazy. As for the Sirens…I would burn that bridge after I crossed it.

"I wasn't trying to imply otherwise." She made a reverence. "Forgive me if it came off that way, Master."

"…"

It had come to my attention that Belfast apologized a lot. Hard to imagine that this woman was the same that jokingly teased me when we first met.

And speaking of apologies…

"Tell me, Belfast; was the Queen's order for you to act flirtatious when we first meet?"

Her eyes opened a bit in confusion at the sudden change of topic.

"N-no, she just ordered me to approach you and invite you to the Royal Navy. I was the one who decided to act that way."

"I see. And can I ask why do you decide to do that?"

"I…" It seemed like she didn't want to answer but continued regardless. "I thought it would be easier to judge your character that way."

"Heh, is that so?" I chuckled. "Did I give you the impression to be an easily swindled person?"

"I am really so-"

"It's fine. Looking back, I think I overreacted a bit." I recognized. "I was on edge, and it was easy to shift the blame on you. I should be the one apologizing for my behavior."

"No, I did present myself as someone I wasn't to try to get your sympathy Master, I am indeed at fault."

I couldn't deny that my pride was a bit hurt that day, maybe because I haven't dated anyone in…a long time. The thought of someone interested in me was….no, it was not the time for such silly ideas.

Instead, I had to think carefully about my options and the possibility that Elizabeth wouldn't cooperate willingly.

"Think we can start over again?"

"Eh?"

I needed all the allies I could get.

"It might have been your fault, or maybe it was mine. That doesn't change the fact that we are on the same side now." I extended my arm to her. "So, what do you think if we leave all that behind and start over again?"

She once again went silent and looked at my extended arm with a conflicted expression. Then, her eyes moved to her own hand.

"I…would like that, Master." She finally took my hand in a firm handshake, a fact that reminded me how stronger than me she was.

I smiled.

"Once again, my name is Fujimaru Ritsuka. Nice to meet you."

"And once again, I am Belfast, the maid." A small smile also appeared on her face. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

I couldn't see her betraying her Queen, but if things went in my favor, it wouldn't be a "betrayal," it would be…

"I really commend your ability to socialize, my Master. However, I think it's not the time or place to give up to your basic instincts." The other maid voice came from outside the room; she looked at us with a deadpanned expression.

We quickly separated, a bit startled by Sheffield's sudden appearance.

"Sheffield? Since when were you there?" Belfast asked.

"Since both of you started flirting without a care in the world."

"Who was flirting? Also, eavesdropping is bad, Sheffield."

"I was just making sure that you don't use your newly gained authority for perverse means, my pest of a master. Also, I came to inform you that the humans are tied up, so we are free to leave whenever you see fit."

"Did you make sure that they won't be able to scream once they wake up?" I tried to ignore that comment of hers.

"Any more tape on their mouths would suffocate them, or is that what you want, Master?"

"No, I'll believe your word." I turned back to Belfast. "Take Marcia with you. We are leaving in five minutes."

"Understood." Belfast agreed in the most businessmen way possible and exited the room.

"You'll be leading the way to the laboratories, Sheffield."

"You won't win her with pretty words, Master."

I was about to prepare myself when I heard that comment from the serious maid.

"I am not sure what you mean."

"You like her, right?"

"…what?"

"I mean, you are sexually attracted to-"

"Wait." I made her stop. "I understood the first time; you don't need to word it differently."

"So you don't deny it."

"…" I wanted to say something to deny that claim, but I couldn't. "And what if I do? It's none of your business, Sheffield."

I am not a teenager anymore; I can like someone and be completely fine with it, not going to lose sleep over that.

"Sadly, it is, Master, since you don't make any effort on hiding it." She gave me a look as if I were the worst person in existence. "Frankly, it's distracting and disgusting."

"What are you talking about…?" I was about to say something, but an idea popped into my head. "Could it be that you are actually jealo-"I couldn't finish, as I had the barrel of a pistol in my forehead.

"That's an interesting statement. Care to continue?"

"It's obviously a joke. You don't have to the point that thing at me."

"You are certainly quite the jester, my dear master. Don't you think "buffoon" would be a more proper role for you than, Commander?"

"That would be hard. My jokes only work on you."

"Regrettably, I am not laughing."

"You seem to enjoy my company, though."

"The fact that you keep deluding yourself is worrying." She said with a straight face.

I chuckled, and I started to wonder when getting a gun on my head had become my idea of amusement.

"Hey, I made up with Belfast already, so maybe we can also-?"

"No." Instant rejection.

"…Alright, not going to force you to get along with me." I didn't want to push the situation too much. Besides, I was sure I had fewer chances of convincing Sheffield than Belfast. "But I did mean what I said before; I don't care what happened between us in the past. I consider you my companion now, Sheffield."

"…!"

"Who knows, maybe with time, we can be friend-?"

"How did you do that?" She interrupted me.

I noticed how her arm twitched a bit, and the barrel of her gun moved a bit on my forehead. At the same time, a somewhat surprised expression appeared on her face.

"Huh? Did what? "

"What are you doing to me?" She asked, her tone suddenly gained a certain edge; she even pressed the barrel of her gun more strongly. "Is this also part of those abilities you have?"

"Sheffield?" I was dumbfounded.

"You have to stop, even if you are my Master now, I won't allow you to keep-"

"Sheffield." Belfast was back in the room. "It isn't good manners to put a pistol in your Master's forehead, don't you think so?"

Sheffield eyed the other maid, and wordlessly lowered her gun.

"Let's go we have to arrive before the sun appears on the horizon." She directed me a final look of distrust before abandoning the room.

I wondered, however, what had I done to get on her bad side this time.

* * *

I told the maids to go ahead, and I remained at the apartment for a couple of minutes.

I didn't have much time.

I quickly grabbed my briefcase, the one I always took with me to the classes and opened it.

"Here they are."

I took a small pencil case, folded a couple of paper sheets, and put them both in my pocket.

I didn't have time to try it at the moment, they would surely suspect something if I took too long to go. I would have to find time to do it at another moment.

Hopefully, I wasn't actually as rusted as I felt.

* * *

The man marked the phone number one last time, but the answer was still the same.

"The number you are trying to reach had been disconnected or is outside the-"

The phone was closed with force before the recording could end.

"Have you been able to get in touch with the laboratories?" The Admiral asked one of his subordinates, the man in question was one of many soldiers, sat around a giant machine that appears to be some kind of communication device.

"No, sir. They still haven't responded to our callings, not from the normal channel or the encrypted one.

"So, they have fallen already." He got up from his chair. "Call O'Dyne, tell him to get the new prototypes ready for combat. Also, warn the higher-ups, we are closing all the entries to the labs."

"Sir…? But Commander Marcia said twenty-four hours, she may be still…."

"She is dead, soldier. And we are going to follow her steps if we don't put an end to this madness once for all." The admiral declared, there wasn't a trace of doubt in his voice. "And hear me, we won't stand idle as a pair of defective weapons decide to rebel; we'll protect our country." His face contorted in one of contained anger. "Even if we have to use those."

"...Yes, sir."

* * *

"I see, so this is where this "subterranean" laboratory was."

It felt weird when Sheffield guided us inside the subway station, but it made sense. They couldn't just build an extensive underground base from scratch; the underground tunnels must have helped them build it, or maybe they repurposed a vacant area.

Whatever the case was, after walking on the rails for some time, and crossing a really stretch section between two walls, we arrived at a heavy metallic door, with a yellow and black sign that said "Authorized personal only."

Sheffield then approached the door, but it opened before she could touch it.

Behind the door was yet another maid. Aside from the now normal maid uniform, she was also wearing glasses, covering a pair of light blue eyes. Her stature was shorter than Belfast, but she had the same long silver air falling on her shoulder.

"Bel, Sheffield, welcome back." The maid made a reverence towards my companions.

"Thank you for receiving us, sister." Said Belfast. "I hope everything went well in our absence."

…? Did she say sister?

After looking a bit more carefully at the new maid, I noticed that she did resemble Belfast a bit. How curious to think that she had a little sister.

"As well as possible." She commented, a bit pessimistic. "I keep trying to serve her Majesty, but Warspite keeps getting in the way! I know they are close, but as a maid, I should be the one to…" The maid's sight finally fell on me; apparently, she had failed to notice my presence until now. "Huh, what is a human doing here…? Ah! Is this one of the new recruits?"

New recruits?

"Actually, he is…" Belfast tried to explain, but the new maid approached me before she could finish.

"Hmmm, let's see..." She tided her glasses and started inspecting me from head to toe."Huh, not bad, not bad, a bit on the weak side but beggars can't be choosers."

"Huh…excuse me?"

She put a hand on my shoulder, looking smug even though I was taller than her.

"But don't worry, we'll find something for you to do. Even if you can't fight directly, there are always jobs like mopping the floor or cleaning the bathrooms available. I am sure you can find something to be of use to Her Majesty!"

I looked at the other maids in confusion, only to see Belfast's troubled smile and well as Sheffield's tired stare.

Ah, I see

"So, you are going to teach me how to server Her Majesty?" I decided to play along.

"But of course!" Her eyes were shining for some reason."I, Edinburgh, will help you in all you need newbie! Who knows; maybe with a lot of hard work, I might allow you to take care of my du-to help me with my work!" She quickly corrected herself.

"I see, I thank you for the offer, but I don't think I will have time too much time to mop the floor while working as a Commander."

"Ah?" Edinburgh's face suddenly went stiff. "Commander? What are you talking about-?" She turned around only to see Belfast's smile.

"Sister, let me introduce you to the new Commander, Ritsuka Fujimaru."

"Co-co-commander?" Edinburg slowly turned towards me again; her face was now devoid of color.

" Hmm, yes, that should be me."

"Co-commander! Or is it Master!? Ehh…ahh…" She seemed to be at lots of words. "Master Commander! I am so sorry for my behavior! I thought you would be more…no, no what I am saying!? It's not like I am criticizing your looks! I think you are perfect as you are!"

"It's okay, calm down. I am not angry." I tried to reassure her. "As Belfast said, I am the Ritsuka Fujimaru. Edinburg, was it? Nice to meet you." I offered her a handshake.

Seeing that I genuinely wasn't angry, Edinburgh's face beamed again.

"Y-yes! Nice to meet you, Master Commander!" She took my hand with both hands and rapidly shook it. "Her Majesty had been waiting for you; I am sure she will be happy to finally receive you at last!"

I smiled. The feeling was mutual. I couldn't wait to meet this "Queen."

My actions after meeting her, would depend on the type of person she was.

* * *

We went downstairs once, and the scenery changed a bit.

The dark corridors around us were now more adequately illuminated, and I could see some walls displaying more warning signs like "Restricted Area" or "Use of deadly force is authorized against trespassers."

"They really wanted to keep people away from this place, huh."

"Marcia told us that this facility was in use before serving as a base for us; she never told me what they were doing, however," Belfast informed me.

"Well, maybe we can ask her once she wakes up." I looked at the woman in Belfast's shoulder; she was still out of the cold.

I really needed to think what to with her, or if she was at risk being here, we weren't on the best terms, but I didn't want anything too wrong happening to her.

We walked some more, and at some point, the tunnel separated into two. On my right, I could see a long corridor with a large number of doors. There were also a few standard things like air conditioners on the walls and a few water dispensers. In other words, that side of the tunnels started looking a bit more like a place where people could actually stay decently comfortable.

"Those are the soldiers' barracks." Edinburgh noticed my gaze. "Her Majesty's room is this way." She continued to the left tunnel.

"…"

She said, the "barracks", implying that people lived here as I had suspected. However, I had yet to see another human being in this base.

Strange.

* * *

We finally arrived at our destination, the "throne room," so to speak, even though it looked no different from any other room, at least from the outside.

Belfast went to lock Marcia in another room, and Edinburg entered first to announce my arrival to the Queen, so it was just me and Sheffield waiting by the door.

"Anything I should know before I meet her?"

"Kneel down when I do, and let her do the talking; you only need to answer when spoken." Sheffield eyed me cautiously. "And remember, you are before her Majesty, the Queen, so don't do anything weird."

"Now I kind of want to do the opposite just to mess with you."

Sheffield gave me a judging stare that said, "don't mess up, you idiot."

I chuckled.

"Commander, you may come in." I heard Edinburgh's voice from behind the door.

"Ready?" Asked the serious maid while putting her hands on the knob.

"Ready."

She opened the door, and as I suspected, there was no enormous throne room, long red carpet, or fanfare of any kind. It was just an average room with some furniture; it was tidier than expected, considering it was underground.

Then I saw her.

If I had to be honest, I had formed a mental image of what this "Queen" looked like in my head. I imagined an adult woman, older than me but with a strong presence, someone who could be able to shut everyone up in a room with just a fierce stare. Someone decided, with clear convictions of what was right and wrong.

Actually, was I thinking about Artoria?

I didn't know, but I positively wasn't thinking about this.

"I, Queen Elizabeth, the first, welcome you to the Royal Navy headquarters, Ritsuka Fujimaru!" The blonde girl loudly stated, with a commanding tone.

Yes, "girl" was the right word, as she looked relatively young, indeed not older than the maids who served her with such devotion. This girl was seated in a big chair, a makeshift throne, and wore a dark blue dress with white motifs alongside white gloves and white knee socks. On her right arm was some kind of staff or scepter, and on her head rested a small red and golden crown.

If it was the first time looking at something like this, I would disregard someone like her as some girl trying too hard to look like a Queen. However, I had come to understand that appearance mattered little when it came to supernatural beings.

"Kneel before the Queen, human." Said another girl, who was by Elizabeth's side.

They looked alike, with blonde hair and youthful appearance; however, this girl actually exuded a particular aura. With her fierce gaze and a sword on both hands resting on the floor, I could tell that she was a warrior.

I was too busy staring at the two girls that I forgot I was supposed to show respect, a fact that became clear when I looked at the kneeling Sheffield, glaring daggers at me.

"I am Fujimaru Ritsuka." I quickly copied her, putting one knee on the floor while maintaining my posture with Lord Camelot. "I was told that your Majesty requested my presence, so here I am."

"Indeed, Fujimaru! It's a pleasure to finally meet the one that would be the Commander of my troops." Elizabeth sounded upbeat. "I have heard a lot about you."

"Hopefully good things."

"They are; having bested a Siren is not a small feat."

"…" I chose not to comment on that.

They kept blowing my confrontation with Purifier out of proportion; all I did was run and defend myself with Lord Camelot. I had no way of inflicting damage to her until she attacked Lord Camelot directly.

"And not only that, but you also fought your fellow humans and the corrupt government." Her voice adopted a severe tone after those words."You have passed for quite an ordeal before coming here."

"I only fought to protect my life, a life that someone important for me saved." Her smile appeared in my mind as I looked at Lord Camelot. "That's why; anyone who dares to disrupt that peaceful life I had built is my enemy."

And that includes the Royal Navy.

"You and I feel the same, Fujimaru." She stood up and began to approach me. "We were both unjustly deprived of our freedom, you have robbed your peaceful life, and my throne was occupied by a faker who calls herself Elizabeth II." She frowned with contained rage. "I think we both had enough of this affront."

"What do you plan on doing, you Majesty?"

"Naturally, I would recover the throne and expel those fakers."

"And when you do that." I tighten my grip in Lord Camelot. "When you finally are recognized as the Queen of the United Kingdom, what would you do with the people that supported the fake government, and with the rest of the common folk?"

"What would I do?" She looked into my eyes. "I would do my all to serve them as the Queen they deserve. I would guide them in the battle against the Siren to victory."

We stared at each other for a couple of seconds, her azure eyes meeting my own.

I only needed that look to tell: she was telling the truth.

If she had said something like, "I am going to enslave them." Or "I am going to put them in their place." I would have attacked her without hesitation. But she didn't, and she seemed to have good intentions, or at the very least, she did believe her own words.

However, that was not enough to gain my trust. I was deceived by one of her maids before; she would need more than a few words to convince me that her heart and actions were entirely unclouded.

"And to achieve that objective, I need you by my side, Fujimaru."

"I will put my all in leading the maids and fulfill my role as a Commander, Your Majesty."

"No, it's more than that." She corrected me. "I'll need you not only as a Commander but as my Knight."

"A Knight?" I asked with curiosity.

"We had a few human Commanders, and all of them failed in recognize my authority." She shook her head. "I don't want for that to happen again, Fujimaru. That's why I want you to be one of us; by accepting to be my knight, you'll be under my direct command, just like Warspite." She put a hand on my shoulder. "You'll become a part of the Royal Navy."

So, it was an even more prominent position of authority, with just a different title.

I didn't see a problem with that.

"Will you swear your loyalty to me, Fujimaru Ritsuka, so that we both can bring justice to those who wronged us?"

I had already accepted my position as Commander only to get close to her, and I have fulfilled that part of my plan. Now came the real challenge, gaining her trust.

Becoming her knight would be the perfect chance to do that.

"I swear…" I was about to accept, but my voice died in my throat for some reason.

I was supposed to say, "I swear to be loyal to you, my Queen." A lie, obviously, I would only accept to get close and gain her trust.

However, I couldn't say it.

"..."

It wasn't like I felt bad for lying. It was necessary for this situation. It was a different feeling, like a hunch….I felt like...something terrible would happen if I swore loyalty to her.

It was an irrational fear. Words were just that, words, and she wasn't a magical being who could bound me by a contract like one of Masters and Servants.

But that unrest didn't disappear.

"I swear I will serve your cause to the best of my ability." I avoided saying that I would serve her personally; hopefully, she wouldn't be bothered by the wording.

"Good, let's make it official, then." She turned around to look at the warrior girl. "Warspite, your sword."

Huh…?

"Are you sure about this, your Majesty?" She asked, as she took her sword by the grip and handed it to Elizabeth.

"Yes, I trust him." She looked at me again as she took the sword in both hands. "He is the same as me."

Wait, what was she doing…?

"By the power invested by my country and my lineage." She moved the sword first in front of her face and then above my right shoulder. "I hereby name you my-"

"No!" I shouted in a reflex.

Everyone in the room was stunned for a moment; even Sheffield looked at me, surprised. I, too, was surprised by my own reaction. The moment she touched me with the sword, I felt like I was losing something, that being her knight meant abandoning my will.

That's why I couldn't let her continue.

"No…?" Elizabeth looked at me with an expression of betrayal. "You don't want to…?"

"No…it's…it's the opposite….I am just not worthy of that title, my Queen."

"Eh?"

"I am…I am just a newcomer. To be named a Knight without any achievements under my belt would be a mistake."

"Are you questioning the will of your Queen!?"

"No, of course not. But I would die of shame if I achieve such a prestigious position without doing anything for my Queen."

I tried my best to sound convincing, but Elizabeth was having none of this.

"That doesn't matter! I want you as my Knight, and I…!"

"Your Majesty." Help came from an unexpected source. "I understand how he feels; he has yet to prove the bravery of a Knight."

"You too, Warspite!?"

"Put his might to the test; have him show that the stories about his exploits against the enemy aren't just mere happenstance. Only then, he will prove to be worthy of the title as a knight."

"But…but… I wanted him as my knight….!" Suddenly Elizabeth began to throw what I could only describe as a child tantrum. Long gone was the determined leader I had seen a moment ago.

"Y-your Majesty…" Warspite didn't know how to react, as she had tried to act severe, but her Queen's response was miles away from that.

"I-I think it's a great idea." I tried to intercede before the situation could become even more uncomfortable. "If you Majesty agrees, obviously."

"But…but…" Elizabeth seems to be torn between what she wanted and her own code. "Ah…alright! You'll be tested, Fujimaru. But when you are done with that, you'll become my personal knight at once!"

"Sure…it would be my pleasure, Your Majesty."

I could hear Warspite releasing a sigh of relief, indeed relieved that the situation has not gotten out of hand.

"Besides, it's not like I hadn't had a task for you on mind already." Even if she said that she still crossed her arms, looking a bit unsatisfied

"Oh? And what could that be?"

"That could wait for tomorrow. As I said before, you have passed an ordeal to come here, so it's only fair that I allow you a moment of respite." She turned to the maid. "Sheffield, guide Ritsuka to one of the rooms, the best one in the barracks."

"Yes, your Majesty." Sheffield turned to look at me, and for a split of a second, I could see wariness on her eyes. "Follow me, Master."

"With your permission." I bowed to the Queen one last time and abandoned the room.

* * *

Sheffield didn't say a single word after we left the "throne" room, and as we walked towards my assigned room.

I, too, didn't know what to say; I could guess I made her angry with that little stunt with the Queen.

Once we were in front of the room, she wordlessly put a key on my hand and began to leave.

"Hey." I talked before she could go."Are you mad?"

She stopped but didn't turn to look at me.

"You rejected her Majesty's offer."

I knew it.

"Sorry, I didn't know how to react. I was not ready for-"

"You don't feel loyalty towards the Queen, and I suspect you don't care if Her Majesty regains the throne or not. Even so, you still accepted the Commander position."

"…to be fair, you didn't leave me much of choice; I would be still locked in if I didn't follow you."

"Lies." She turned towards me."With the abilities you possess, it would have been easy to escape from prison. Yet, you decided to accept her Majesty's help."

Sharp.

"Where do you want to go with this, Sheffield?"

"I began to wonder, my dear master, what's your real objective with coming here?"

My real objective was to stop her Queen, but of course, I couldn't say that.

"I don't know what you are thinking, but I am just doing my part to end this war, Sheffield," I told her a half-truth. "What I said, Elizabeth was right; I only desire to return to my peaceful life once this is over, nothing more and nothing less.

She observed me for some time until she finally turned around.

"…I see, so it's like that."

And walked away, putting an end to the conversation.

"Sheffield?"

"Good Night, Master." She didn't stop this time.

* * *

He was hiding something. The maid was sure of it.

In the short time she had come to know him, Sheffield's opinion on the strange man had changed a lot, but her conclusion was the same every time.

At first, she saw him as an enemy, an ally of the Sirens, someone to be eliminated at once. In conclusion, he was dangerous.

Then, she saw him as a potential ally, wielding a mysterious power that no other human seemed to have, thus, being an unknown factor. In conclusion, he was dangerous.

And now, she saw him as her Master, the person she was supposed to serve with devotion. However, that same person wasn't loyal to the Queen, their leader, and their motives for helping them remained a mystery. In conclusion, he was dangerous.

No matter what position he was in, the fact that his existence remained as a threat to them was inexcusable; in normal circumstances, he would have removed him without hesitation.

But she couldn't, not only because Belfast and Her Majesty were convinced that Fujimaru could help them; she also couldn't do it, psychically.

Whenever she thought about ending his life or harming him, she began to feel weird. Her chest ached, his throat seemed to go dry, and she had difficulty trying to put her thoughts into words.

That unrest wasn't enough to hinder her standard capabilities. Still, it was enough to stop her from doing anything to him.

This discomfort…it had to be his doing. He had done something to her with those strange powers; he must have messed with her mind in some way, hindering her abilities to fight him.

Sheffield couldn't allow this to continue. She had to find a way to stop him, even if it means disobeying her Queen.

"…"

Maybe that was the worst part; the fact that she couldn't focus on her duties at all.

Her thoughts kept getting filled with his image.

* * *

"…"

Sadly, my new room wasn't something out of this world, which made sense since this was meant to be a soldier's room in a secret base, but…it bothered me a bit that it resembled the jail I was locked in a few hours ago.

At least it didn't have a toilet in the middle of the room, which was an improvement.

Anyway…

I started inspecting the room, searching for small cameras or microphones hidden in the small spaces like behind the bed or between the closet and the wall.

Thankfully, I didn't find anything.

Then, I put my ear on the wall and tried to hear if anyone was outside the room.

I couldn't hear anything; Sheffield must have gone by now.

Just to be sure, I kneeled on the floor and looked through the small space between the door and the floor.

Nothing, everything seems to be clear.

Good.

I took the case and the sheets of paper off my pocket and stared at it for a couple of seconds.

It's been a long time since I last tried it; a part of me was actually angry that I didn't practice much in all these years.

But that was the past. What mattered now is if I could do it or not.

I was still a Magus, and it was time to prove it.

It was time to do some Magecraft.

**END OF CHAPTER 11**

* * *

**AN:** Full disclosure, this chapter wasn't supposed to end like this, I wanted at least 2 or 3 more scenes, but sadly, I am about to get busy, like really busy. Not only I have college exams, but I am also starting to work part-time. So yeah November is going to be a really busy month for me. If I manage to release a chapter that month, it's going to be a short one with the 2 scenes missing in this chapter.

Now, about the chapter itself, it's a bit of a transition chapter before the next big thing, but I think it worked well with MC meeting the rest of the Royal Navy, hopefully, you'll find it interesting too.

So yeah, that's about it, see you on the next chapter.


	12. Puppets

She threw the ball with force towards the nearest wall; the ball made an arc and bounced back towards her hand.

Then, she threw it again, and the process started once again.

And again, and again, and again.

And again.

As a Siren, Purifier was accustomed to repetition. She had played with the ball on her hand at least 6,48x10ˆ3 times. She knew how much force she needed to get a specific arc. She knew exactly where it would land, even without using any of her five senses. She could calculate the bounce amount needed for the ball to start to wear down until it could not bounce again.

And that made that activity, every activity in fact, so boring; so utterly boring.

Everything she had done and would do was limited between specific parameters, events between those parameters would repeat themselves no matter the world she was in, and things outside them were functionally impossible; it wouldn't come to happen even with infinite repetitions.

Or that's what she believed until meeting Ritsuka Fujimaru. This human managed to hurt her to the point of making her arm useless and forced her to retreat.

"Ritsuka…"

He was an anomaly, something outside the normal parameters; the odds of him, a human, ever hurting a Siren were so abysmal that it wasn't even worth considering.

Even so, it happened, and now she had to remain in that state to be "healed."

Purifier looked towards her right arm. A black spider-like machine firmly held it between two of its "legs" while the rest of them slowly went over her arm. Some of them were fixing part of the broken bones in her arm. Others were replacing the burned skin, and another was connected directly to her muscle tissue. There was no part of her right arm that the machine couldn't reach.

She didn't feel pain while the machine went through her arm, fixing it, but she had to remain still while it worked, so the only pain she felt was not physical but out of boredom. She didn't want to stay like that. She wanted to leave the Siren base at once and go play with her friend. Her first friend after so many simulations!

But she had her orders, even if she didn't care about losing her arm at all, Zero was adamant about it, and she couldn't go against her authority.

Yet.

Soon…soon she could, but for the moment, she had to remain as her lapdog.

"Hahhh….I want to see Ritsuka again!" She groaned and shook her legs as an impatient child. "I wonder if he already took charge of Azur Lane...or if he already took one of the shipgirls."

Purifier remembered the maid pawn, Sheffield, and pictured her together with Ritsuka. At that time, he saved her; she still remembered how Ritsuka carried her in his hands.

"I wonder…what kind of face would you make once I dismember her?" A sadistic smile appeared on her face. "Would you get angry? Would you cry? Or maybe…?"

"Have you finally descended to madness, Purifier? Or were you ever sane to begin with?" A voice suddenly came from the shadows.

Purifier immediately recognized her.

"What are you doing here, Alpha?" Her tone reverted back to being whiny. "Have you come to see me suffer like this?" She pointed at her imprisoned arm.

A pair of golden eyes suddenly appeared in the shadows as a figure began to walk toward Purifier; they both looked alike. The most glaring difference was the black see-through clothes that the new Siren wore instead of Purifier pseudo-school uniform.

"Is that how you receive a fellow Siren? And here I was, thinking that you would appreciate news on your little toy." Observer Alpha commented with exaggerated dramatics.

"Did something happen with Ritsuka!?" Purifier suddenly sounded interested.

Alpha smiled but didn't say anything. Then, with a gesture of her hand, a holographic screen appeared in front of Purifier. The screen showed Fujimaru Ritsuka in the Royal Navy underground base. He was kneeling in front of Elizabeth, the Royal Navy leader.

"Ah!? Why is he kneeling!?" Purifier suddenly felt insulted for some reason.

"Don't worry, he is just faking it." Alpha commented calmly. "Seems like he wants to take control of the Royal Navy in a hard way, even though you gave him-"

"Shhh." Purifier made a silence gesture with her finger and whispered. "She is watching….she always watches, remember?"

She sees everything. She hears everything. That's what Observer Zero was to the Sirens, a gaze upon them, with eyes that never rested.

"Ah, but don't worry. Our esteemed leader is currently busy fixing the mess with the Dragon Empery; a lot of people saw them after all fufufufu." Observer Alpha smirked. "The last place she would want to see is her own base." Her eyes began to shine. "She might not even realize if one of our cubes suddenly disappeared."

Purifier's eyes opened like plates for a second, but her expression went from surprised to overjoy.

"You just want to see them die, don't you?"

"Far from it, if they ceased to exist, I wouldn't be able to collect any more data from this simulation. I only propose these because I think highly of our little test subjects." She licked her own lips. "Besides, it would be boring if your toy succeeded so easily, don't you think so?"

Purifier chuckled.

"But of course!" With a powerful move, she broke free of the spider-machine that was holding her, tearing it to shreds.

She moved her fingers as if to test her hand. And when they moved without issue, she smiled.

"You know I hate boring things."

* * *

I released a deep sigh as I stared at the materials in front of me. Then, I took a pencil from the case and started drafting one of the paper sheets; my strokes slowly began to form several concentric circles.

It had been a while, a really long time since I had tried this. Still, I wanted to believe that some muscle memory may have remained in my hand after doing this very same task countless times in the past.

Yes, I just lacked practice.

The inscriptions on the magic circles were complicated, especially when I knew almost nothing about Kabbalah in the first place. I just left my arm to remember the strokes, even if my mind didn't remember the meaning behind the symbols.

"…"

As I silently drew the symbols, a few things started to return to my memory, somethings that helped me to remember some symbols like "this one looks like an "m" or "this one it's like a "t" but shorter."

I chuckled.

"I wonder, would you hate me for mishandling your techniques like this…? No, you hated humans in the first place, right Avicebron? So the sole idea that I am using what you teach me to once again help humanity would disappoint you."

Well, he was free to call me naïve and idiot if he wanted to…if only we could speak again…

"…ah shit."

I got distracted and ended messing up the draft.

"Well, I knew it wouldn't be easy."

I scrapped the paper and took a clean one to start drafting once again.

* * *

It took about an hour and a couple of tries, but I finally got a "successful" draft that could be used as a magic circle. Now I could finally begin with the real thing.

I took a pair of scissors from my case. From my pockets, I took a few pebbles and small rocks I had gathered from the street when Sheffield and Belfast released me from Marcia's soldiers, then I sat on the floor.

"If any proper magus sees me doing this, they probably either die of shame or kill me on the spot."

Anyway, I activated my magic circuits and prepared myself to use reinforcement magecraft, not on myself this time but on the scissors. Small green lines quickly appeared on the ordinary pair of scissors, making them harder and sharper.

Then, with one of its blades, I cut my index finger.

"…"

It hurt a bit, but I managed to draw blood. And thus, I started to copy the draft on the floor using my blood.

In my understanding, a summoning circle to invoke a Servant to this world was far more significant and required more materials than just blood; thankfully, I wasn't trying to do anything as crazy as to summon a Servant.

No, I knew about my limits. That's why a small magic circle was all I needed.

I copied the draft to the best of my ability, then I took the pebbles and started smashing them with the dull part of the reinforced scissors to make them a bit smaller. If I had a mortar with me, this activity would a lot less rudimentary but whatever.

Obviously, I couldn't make the pebbles that much smaller, but their size was reduced enough for my purpose, so I moved them inside the magic circle.

I released another deep sigh and put my hand above the magic circle.

"Alright, Ritsuka, you are a Magus, and you have done this before." I breathed a few times. "Just remember all those times Avicebron passive-aggressively encouraged you. You can do this."

I closed my eyes, and his image appeared on my mind. That self-deprecating masked man repeatedly said that he was one of the worst among his class, even though he could raise Golems with just a move of his hand. He didn't need blood or a magic circle like me. Only the soil and stones around him were enough to raise an army of powerful Golems, capable of putting up a fight against Servants.

That person was my teacher, someone who could even teach Golemancy to someone as inept in magecraft as me…such an exceptional man…

At that moment, I felt something going down my cheek.

I opened my eyes, surprised.

"Ah…really? We weren't even that close…I…I am an idiot…" I quickly rubbed off the lone tear from my cheek, cursing my own weakness. "I am glad he didn't see me like this. I am sure he would be disgusted."

I tried to shake those feeling and focus on the magic circle.

I closed my eyes again and started reciting the summoning words as I imagined the pebbles taking the shape I wanted. I could feel the magical energy leaving my body and entering the soon to be a golem.

Then, I opened my eyes.

The pebbles remained motionless, just like they were before I started the ritual.

"Come on…" I patiently waited. It should have worked…it must have worked.

My patience was rewarded as the pebbles started to move a bit, then gather at one point as if they were magnetized, and finally began to take shape. A line of pebbles formed the body, while the smaller ones began to develop their wings.

A small dragonfly made of small rocks stood in the magic circle. It was no longer than my index finger, while with its wings extended was probably a bit wider than my palm.

"Come." I commanded in mind, and the golem-insect quickly flew toward my open hand.

I smiled.

"One day Avicebron, one day I'll be able to command an army just like you." I said as I inspected my creation. "But for now, this is good enough."

* * *

I left my room and began to walk towards the exit.

The dragonfly-golem was self-sufficient, which meant it will protect its "life" from any potential danger. Still, aside from that, it needed my orders for almost everything. I needed to be as specific as possible. That's why if I wanted it to reach its destination, I had to make sure it has as few obstacles in its path as possible.

For that reason, I decided to go back to the surface for a bit; hopefully, the Queen and her servants wouldn't mind it.

Or that was the plan until I saw something unexpected in my path.

There was a man in front of one of the barracks' door, a soldier most probably. He seemed to be about to enter his room.

I mentally ordered my golem to enter inside my clothes and called him out.

"Hey." I began to approach him.

"Huh?" The man turned around and gave me a confused expression. "Who are you? I don't remember seeing you in the base before..." He seemed to be a bit tense.

"Make sense. I just arrived a few hours ago." I extended my hand. "Fujimaru Ritsuka, a pleasure."

"Fujimaru…Ritsuka?" He quickly adopted a rigid position and made a military salute. "I am sorry, Commander! I didn't recognize you!" He shouted for some reason.

"Eh….that's okay? As I say, I just arrived at the base." I retracted my hand since it didn't seem like he was going to shake it. "Your name?"

"I am Private Johnson, Sir!" He shouted again.

I grimaced.

"You know, you don't have to be so tense. I just wanted to talk a bit."

"Sir! As the Commander appointed by the Queen, this is the least amount of respect I can show, Sir!"

"…"

Really, I understood what he meant, but it was a bit excessive. After all, "Commander" was pretty much an arbitrary title given to me. I was just some random dude with almost zero military experience...I had another type of experience, but that was beside the point.

Also, "the Commander appointed by the Queen"…he meant this Elizabeth, right? Then why was he, a human, following her?"

As I asked those questions in my head, I noticed that Johnson seemed frozen in that military salute.

"Huh…you can rest, soldier?"

"Yes, sir."

I said that, and the man finally abandoned his stiff position and adopted a more normal one. Also, he wasn't shouting anymore.

Good.

"You see, Johnson, I was wondering if you can help me with something."

"I'll do my best, sir."

"Well, I was wondering how many…human soldiers are in this base. When I arrived, I was under the impression that there was none, but Edinburg said something about "recruits" and now I see you here."

"Sadly, we aren't that many; most of the regiment still doesn't recognize the Queen's authority. The loyal ones must be around twenty."

Eh…? Recognize the Queen's authority? What was this guy talking about…?

"And….you are one of them?"

"Of course!" He began to shout again. "I too was blinded by the government lies at first, but I understood everything once her Majesty gave me the honor of speaking with me directly: Queen Elizabeth the first is the real monarch of this country!"

"I…see." I couldn't see my own face, but I could bet I was too weirded out.

Was this guy crazy? Why was he talking such nonsense? He totally seems to believe those words. It was like they brainwashed him….

…

No…it couldn't be.

Maybe they actually brainwashed him?

"Hey, Johnson…can I ask you a few more-"

"Master?" I suddenly heard a voice from behind, and I didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"Belfast." I greeted her with a small nod while doing my best to hide my surprise.

What a convenient timing for you to appear right now.

"I thought you were already in bed, Master."

"Couldn't sleep." I quickly lied. "I wanted to take some fresh air, and I met Johnson here."

"Head maid." Johnson also greeted Belfast with a similar salute he had given me before.

"Unfortunately, all doors to the outside are locked at night, Master." She spoke to me, paying no mind to Johnson. "However, if you really want to go, I can go search for the keys."

"That would be great, thanks, Belfast." I turned to the soldier. "I'll be taking my leave now; we can continue this conversation later."

"Anytime, sir." He gave me the same salute as before and entered his room.

And so I left with Belfast, with more questions bouncing around my head than proper answers.

* * *

We didn't speak much until we left the subway station. The sky was still covered by the azure mantle of the night, and not a soul could be seen around us.

"Still pretty much empty, huh?"

"There are still a couple of hours before sunrise, Master."

"Seems like it." I raised my head and looked toward the night skies.

I was finally outside. However, Belfast was right beside me, and I couldn't let her see the golem; she might start asking questions that I didn't want to answer.

"So what were you doing at this time of the night? Your kind still needs to sleep, right?"

"We do, but not as much as humans." She smiled. "Besides, it's a maid's duty to wake up her Master with a smile."

"Is that so? Then would you wake me up like that tomorrow?"

"Yes, I was also planning on serving breakfast, but sadly I am still unfamiliar with your preferences, Master."

"I am not picky; a pair of toasts and a tea is enough to get me through the day."

"What kind of tea?"

"Huh, to be honest, most of them feel the same to me. Any recommendation?"

"Earl Grey is my personal favorite."

"Let's go with that then; if you recommend it, I may as well try it."

"Very well, I shall wake you up in the morning with breakfast ready. Is seven o'clock a good time? "

"Seven? Isn't it a bit too early? Considering I am not going to work."

"If I let you oversleep, I will be spoiling you too much, Master."

"Huh, please let me rest for at least another hour. I am not sure when I will manage to fall asleep tonight…"

Wait, what was this small talk? Focus Ritsuka, remember why you came here: I needed to send the Golem to its destination, and she shouldn't see it. There must be a way to distract her, so she doesn't notice…

Ah.

"By the way, Belfast, you were actually following me before, right?" I asked that question as if I was asking for the weather. Maybe a direct attack would throw her off.

Silence, I received no answer for a solid minute.

"I was." But when I did receive it, the answer sounded unexpectedly truthful.

I turned to look at her with a curious look, only to find her wearing a serious expression. She wasn't fooling around.

"Queen's orders?" I continued.

"Yes. I was ordered not to leave you alone in case you left your room."

"I see, in other words, the Queen doesn't trust me."

"On the contrary, she fully trusts you." The maid assured. "She sees in you a champion, someone capable of leading the Royal Navy against the Sirens." She closed her eyes as if thinking for a second, only to open them again."And because of that, she fears losing you."

"Fears losing me…? So that's why she tried to knight me so hurriedly."

"Indeed. In this short time, you have become quite precious to her."

"…"

I felt like she was just enamored with the idea of a human capable of fighting toe to toe with a Sirens, which was really far from the truth. I was sure that misunderstanding would cost me dearly in the future.

"Thank you for telling me, but I have to be honest." I stared at her. "I am a bit surprised that you decided to trust me with this information."

"I have resolved not to lie to you again, Master." She stared back, with conviction. "I won't make the same mistake twice."

So she was still thinking about that time…

"I told you already, we were both at fault."I was actually beginning to feel guilty for mistreating her in our first proper encounter."You should forget about that already."

"For a maid to lie to her Master, it's inexcusable." She shook her head. "I still feel deeply ashamed for past behavior, Master."

…

"…Well, in that case, you can just turn the lie into a truth. Everything would be solved that way."

"What do you mean?"

"You invited me a few drinks after I "found" your earring, right? So…Is that offer still on the table?"

Belfast blinked.

"Are you asking me on a date, Master?"

"You don't have to call it a date if you don't want to….maybe just two people trying to make up with each other?"

"I…" She seemed hesitant.

"Ah, just to make it clear, you don't have to accept just to keep me content." I quickly added. "There is a lot to do here, and the last thing I want is-"

"No." She interrupted me. "I certainly wouldn't mind going on a date with you Master, I don't know much about the outside world after all. There are a lot of places I want to visit."

"I guess you couldn't go outside that much before." A mocking smile suddenly appeared on my face. "But now I make the rules, huh?"

She released a small chuckle.

"That's right, we wouldn't have any problem going outside now that you are our Commander." She lowered her gaze a little. "Sadly, the base is currently in turmoil..."

"I know we can't possibly do it right now, but maybe when things began to lay low a bit…Maybe we can try and see how it goes?"

She nodded.

"It's a promise, then."

"Indeed, let's go on a date once the situation calms down."

"I would be honored to accompany you, Master."

Our gazes met, my blue eyes meeting his grayish ones. A slight blush filled her cheeks, and a small smile spread across her beautiful face.

Maybe I was getting carried away; perhaps I was just being deceived by how pretty she was. Heck, maybe the Queen herself had planned all this to have me even more on her hands.

But really, at that moment, I wanted nothing more than to trust the maid in front of me.

"Ah, sorry, Master, Her Majesty is calling me." However, that moment ended as soon as it started, as Belfast put her hand on her ear as if trying to hear something.

"Her Majesty." She spoke not to me but to the person speaking on her head. "Understood, we'll go right away." They must have finished talking because she looked at me again. "Her Majesty is calling for us. Something urgent came up."

"Urgent? Did she give you the details?"

"No, she just said we need to hurry." Belfast turned to go back to the base. "Let's go, Master."

"Right." I began to follow her but stopped as she went downstairs to enter the subway station."So much for distracting her."

I had no idea what just happened. I was supposed to distract her, not ask for a date…Maybe I subconsciously liked her more than I expected.

I deeply sighed.

Thank god Elizabeth called; otherwise, I wouldn't be able to do this.

I ordered the dragonfly-golem to come out of my clothes and quickly gave it orders.

"Fly to the tower with the giant clock and search for the blonde man who wears white. He will understand once he sees you; don't let anyone else discover you until then."

And like that, the golem flapped its rock wings and flew towards the night sky.

I hated the idea of having to rely on him again, but I needed all the help I could get. If I was going to survive, I had to play all the cards I had been dealt with.

* * *

When we arrived at the Command Room, the place was a mess.

Around ten people sat in front of various computers, watching their screens and smashing their keyboards in multiple degrees of nervousness while shouting things to each other. There was an enormous screen on the wall that showed a map of the United Kingdom territory with a red dot on the south part of the country, near where the River Thames connects with the ocean.

"Your Majesty! Bel and Master Commander have arrived!" Edinburgh announced our arrival to the Queen, who was sat on a big chair a bit apart from the computer machinery, Warspite by her side.

"What's the situation?" Belfast quickly asked.

Warspite looked at us with a grim expression.

"A fleet of Sirens is heading towards our coasts as we speak; we have calculated that they'll reach the land in a 2 or 3 hours or so." Warspite frowned. "But that's not all. They aren't just normal Sirens."

"Not normal?"

"The machine's readings tell us that it's not the first time we have encounter one of these Sirens." The Queen continued talking, looking at me directly. "I am sure you are familiar with this one, Fujimaru."

"No…could it be?"

"Purifier." Answered Sheffield, who I just realized was also in the room. Her gaze was deep into the red dot in the screen. "She is back."

"Purifier…!" Remembering her was enough to form a knot in my throat.

"We must intercept them before they can reach the land. Belfast, Sheffield, are you two ready to depart?"

"With all due respect, Lady Warspite." Sheffield interceded."If it's really that Siren, "Purifier," then the both of us won't be enough. We all need to face her to have a chance."

"We can send Edinburgh too, but you know I can't leave Her Majesty's side, Sheffield."

"We'll have fewer chances if we don't make a joint attack. " Sheffield didn't back down. "That Siren can't be taken lightly."

"Is that true, Fujimaru?" The Queen asked for my opinion.

I didn't answer immediately, thinking carefully about my answer.

"It's difficult to say. I know firsthand that she is certainly strong even while holding back. On the other hand, I don't know the extent of Belfast's abilities." I gave a quick look to Sheffield. "That being said, I trust Sheffield's judgment. She was the one who fought her more directly after all."

"I see." Elizabeth seemed mediated my answer. "You should go, Warspite."

"Eh? Your Majesty?"

"I'll be fine. The Sirens takes priority over my safety."

I wanted to ask why she couldn't also go, being a weapon like the rest of them, but decided to remain silent.

"Besides, Ritsuka is here. He will protect me from any danger!"

Silence. The Queen declared such a ridiculous thing with extreme confidence.

What.

"Your Majesty….that's…" I tried to speak.

"It's a shame that you can't show your abilities in a battle on the sea, but that doesn't mean you can't protect me while I am on land!" Her words hit me like a heavyweight on my back. "Isn't that right, Ritsuka, my future knight?"

How much blind faith does this girl have in me!? She hadn't even seen me fight!

"Y-yes, you Majesty, I'll do my best." I lowered my head, more to hide the expression of bewilderment on my face than to show loyalty. Also, to hide from the thunderstruck gaze that Warspite was likely giving me.

"There you go; you are free to accompany the maids, Warspite."

"But…your Majesty…"

"It's an order, Warspite."

"Understood…your Majesty."

"Good, now depart at once! Even with your speed, it would take a few hours to reach the Thames!"

"Yes, your Majesty!" Repeated every maid and Warspite in the room. However, no matter how much I tried to ignore it, I could still felt the penetrating gaze of Warspite. It's like she was saying, "If you fail, I'll be the one to personally kill you."

Hopefully, my abilities wouldn't be needed this time.

* * *

Not an hour had passed when I realized how wrong that thought was. A strident alarm began to sound in the command room.

"More Sirens?" Asked the Queen to one of the people behind the computers.

"No, you Majesty, it's….here, we are getting attacked!"

"What!?"

A video appeared on the screen. It showed the entrance of the tunnels. About twenty people dressed in black assault uniform were attempting to destroy the metal door with a ram.

"The military?"

Were those Marcia's forces? Did they realize she never reached her destination?

"It's the Admiral. He made his move before us." I could see an expression of anger on Elizabeth's face. "But to think they would dare to attack us now when our forces are dealing with the Sirens!"

At that moment, one of the men in black noticed the camera on the wall, and for a split of a second, he stared at it.

Then he raised his rifle and shot it, the image, lost.

"How dare they….!?" Elizabeth looked more frustrated than she had ever been to before. "We won't stand idle as the admiral assault our base!" She stood up, hitting her scepter on the floor with force. "Ritsuka, take our soldiers and show them the meaning of messing with the Royal Navy!"

Of course, I had to be the one to do it.

"Yes, your Majesty…." I figured any excuse like I had no experience in commanding an armed squad would fly over her head, so I just resigned myself to my fate.

There was another thing that bothered me though…

Would I have to kill any of those men?

* * *

A magus was not an all-powerful entity. We were just humans who possess magic circuits. Yes, "humans" that's the keyword. We weren't weapons of mass destruction capable of winning wars by ourselves. I should make that clear to Elizabeth once this situation was resolved.

We took cover in the barracks; I was with Johnson in one of the rooms while the rest of the soldiers occupied the adjoining rooms.

As the defender side, we had a few advantages. First, the nature of the terrain; there was only one path, the front, where the enemy could come from, so the possibility of an ambush was almost null. Also, being in a subterranean tunnel means that they couldn't use explosives unless they want to risk being buried alive.

"Do you see anything, Your Majesty?" I spoke using my communicator.

"Not yet. Everything is quiet."

Another advantage was the cameras on the wall, the Command Room could alert us at the exact moment the Admiral's forces got in range; we didn't need to continually open the doors of the rooms to see them and could remain hidden to ambush them.

And the last advantage we had over them was ...this. I put a hand on Lord Camelot as I strengthened my grip. When it came to defense, I was probably invincible as long as the enemy didn't catch me from behind. I was nowhere near the level of Leonidas or Mashu, though; a lost bullet to the head could still kill me in an instant. Even with all these advantages, I was still human; I could die in a blink.

But I won't. I promised Mashu that I would survive, that the life she saved wasn't for nothing.

There was no way that I would die here.

"…! Ritsuka, they are coming!" The Queen spoke in my ear.

I made a sign to Johnson, telling him to alert the others and prepare himself, then I crouched beside the closed door, ready to open it at the right time. The plan was to stun them with a flash grenade and attack while they were blinded.

"It's my life or theirs….it's my life or theirs." I kept repeating that in my head. If I held back even a bit, people on my side would get killed; this situation is no different from before, in Chaldea. Those soldiers are no different from the Goetia. If they have to die so that I continue living, then it's not even a choice. It's my life or theirs…my life or theirs…

"Ritsuka!?"

"Elizabeth?" Apparently, I was unresponsive for a few seconds, so deep in my thoughts.

"Did you not hear me!? I order you to retreat!"

"What!? Why?"

"They aren't human soldiers, they are…!"

Suddenly, the door of the room was broken down, and a figure appeared in the portal.

That woman wore a black and white maid uniform, similar to the one Belfast wore but with a shorter skirt. Her pale hair was also short, not even reaching her shoulder, and the gaze of her red eyes was devoid of any emotion.

She was looking at me, but it didn't look like she recognized me as another being. It was like being watched by a robot.

"Freeze!"

Before I could react, I heard Johnson pointing his rifle at the maid.

It was over before he could pull the trigger; the maid pounced on him in a blink of an eye. First, she destroyed his gun with her bare hands, and with a solid punch to the guts, he was knocked out.

I didn't waste that opportunity he had created for me. I hit the floor with my legs, and with the speed and power my reinforced legs gave me, I attacked the maid from behind with the shield.

But I was blocked with just a move of her arm.

So strong!

"But it's not enough!" A reddish energy ball appeared on my free hand, and before the maid could react, I shot a gandr. The curse hit her, which made her stumble and lose her stability. No longer could she stop my charge.

"Ahhhh!" I put all my force on the shield and pushed her back until she collided with the wall with a loud noise, cracks appeared on it.

She tried to push me back, but I trapped her between the wall and the shield. I had the upper hand.

"Who are you!? How did you know when to attack!? Who is giving you information!?" I asked.

But the response I got was something unexpected.

"Damage sustained. Non-human enemy confirmed." She spoke with an emotionless tone.

"What?"

Before I could understand what she meant by that, I felt a force pulling me from behind, and then I was thrown away.

"Arrgh!"

I hit a wall with my back, it hurt like hell.

The moment I took a look at my surroundings, I noticed the bodies of the rest of the soldiers, all of them were lying motionless on the floor, and the culprit was the woman that had thrown me.

"Another one!?"

She was also a maid, her uniform was a bit more covered than the first woman, but it had a hole in the lower middle part of the chest for some reason. She looked reasonably similar to the other maid, aside from the hair being a bit more bluish and longer.

The one thing that was exactly the same, though, were those red eyes and the same dead gaze she gave me.

I quickly got up and put distance between us.

The enemy maids slowly exited the room and stood up, just looking at me.

"Non-lethal protocol: lifted."Both of them said at the same time as they extended their hands. A pair of swords, one silver and black colored, while the other, steel and golden, materialized on their hands from thin air.

If there was any doubt that they were the same as Belfast and the rest, then it was gone.

"…!" I took Lord Camelot with both hands as I stepped back.

This was bad. I thought I could face one of them with some difficulty, but two was another story.

At that moment, one of them pounced at me, her sword raised.

I quickly defended with the shield, and our weapons meet with a "clank." Thankfully, the recoil of her charge sent her a few steps back. However, I could no longer see the other maid with her.

"…!" I instinctively moved my left hand to my back while turning my body a bit.

Then I felt pain.

I had managed to block the other maid's slash from behind with my reinforced arm, but I had not emerged unscathed from that encounter. The blood of my arm ran down the steel of her sword.

"…!"

The situation was grim. I was trapped between the two maids. If I moved Lord Camelot to defend myself, the maid in front of me could attack me quickly.

"What are you two doing!?"

A scream suddenly resounded in the tunnel, and for a split of a second, the maid attacking me took her blood eyes from me to spot the source of the voice.

That's all I needed.

Ignoring the pain, I quickly grabbed the maid's sword by the blade and move it to the side just to hit her directly with the Lord Camelot.

The maid tried to block, but it was too late, and I sent her a few meters away.

I quickly turned back at the other maid, waiting for an attack, but it never came. She was fighting with someone else.

Steel met steel, and I could see sparks flying as the two swordswomen face each other.

"Warspite! "

It was the Queen's knight, Warspite, she had come back!

"Fujimaru!" She separated from the maid and approached me, still pointing her weapon at her."I knew I couldn't leave you alone with Her Majesty."

"Honestly, I don't freaking care why you are back." I put my back towards her, to see the maid that I had hit slowly coming back towards me. "You saved my life."

"Don't start celebrating too early." She took her sword with both hands. "Their swordsmanship is nothing to be dismissed. They may even rival my own."

"Wait, do you know them!?"

"Yes...They are Light Cruisers of the Royal Navy... Royal maid Sirius…and Royal maid Dido, the best swordswomen in our faction after me.

**END OF CHAPTER 12**

* * *

**AN:** Don't have much to say about this chapter, in fact, I wanted to read what you all think because spoiler: I liked writing it quite a lot.

Ah, and since I won't release a chapter until...mid January maybe? I wanted to wish you all a good Christmas for those who celebrate it and a good New Years. Maybe this horrible 2020 disappear in oblivion.

Seriously, die 2020.

See you on next chapter.


	13. Puppeteers

"We are getting closer to the base." The soldier reported to the military base while he and the rest of the assault forces approached the subterranean lab. The night offered them a dark cloak that covered their operations. "We await your orders, Admiral."

"Did you make sure to close off any path leading to the lab?" The Admiral responded from the command center.

"Yes, the streets leading to the entrance were blocked by the local police, and the subway line was closed with the excuse of monthly maintenance, sir."

"What about the prototypes? Any sign of rebellion?"

"Negative, they have been docile so far." The soldier assured. "They don't move before we do, just like you ordered, and they have been silent all the way here."

"…"

The Admiral knew it, and it was a gamble sending the prototypes without doing further tests. Even O'Dyne was unsure how they may react. The experiment should have worked, interrupting their gestation period before they could fully develop a sense of self should have erased any traces of free-will. Still, it was a rudimentary and untested method, a product of the little time they have.

In other words, they couldn't know when they may start disobeying orders; the new prototypes were a two-edged sword.

"Regardless, stay alert."

"Copy that."

But it had to be done; they had to attack before them. They already had killed Commander Haydes. It was just a matter of time until they tried to overthrow him.

He would never allow that.

"Always charging forward regardless of the consequences, aren't you, William?"

He felt like his heart stopped for a second as he heard something out of this world reaching his ears. It was a man's voice; it spoke directly to his ear, like a whisper.

Immediately, he searched for the source of that voice, but he found no one. His subordinates were all occupied preparing the assault, and no one was close enough to speak directly to his ear.

"You won't find me anywhere. After all, I died."

He immediately stood up, alerted.

"Who say that!?" He screamed. "Is that your idea of a joke!?"

Every pair of eyes in the command room suddenly went to him; nobody expected him to shout like that; they all looked as lost as the Admiral.

"Admiral? What's wrong?" One of his subordinates quickly approached him.

"Did not you hear it!?"

"Eh? Heard what, sir?"

"The vo… no, it's nothing" He stopped himself as he realized he sounded like a madman. "I am getting a terrible headache; I am going to ask for painkillers. Tell the assault force not to move until I am back."

"Yes, sir."

With that, the Admiral abandoned the control room and headed towards the infirmary. He wasn't sure what had happened, to suddenly start hearing a voice on his head….was the lack of sleep finally taking its toll?

"Come on. You were always as healthy as a bull, William. You won't get crazy for going a few days without sleep."

His heart rate suddenly accelerated; there was no other person in the corridor but him. That voice clearly belonged to no one; it was all inside his head.

He changed his course and went to his office instead of the infirmary. Was he dreaming? Or maybe he had drunk too much without realizing it? Either way, he couldn't let his subordinates see him like that.

"Are you afraid that they think of you as a madman? But you are sane, and I can assure you that."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up." He whispered until arriving at his office. There, he slammed the door behind him and made sure to lock it.

"Finally alone." The voice sounded cheerful. "Want to talk now?"

"No…you are not real, I am just hearing things because I am tired…that's it..." The Admiral tried to convince himself.

"You know me, William, but that's beside the point. What's important is what I can do for you."

"What you can do for me…?"

"I am sure you can do your math, William. Two of those prototypes aren't going to win against five."

"That…that doesn't matter! Even if they can't, I'll just order them to blow the tunnels and bury them all alive!"

"Alongside the thirty-four humans that are still there? Do you think you will come unscratched after burying them alongside months of scientific research?"

"Someone has to do something!" He shouted, now really sounding like a madman, while bringing both hands to his head."Those damn bureaucrats in the government can't even clean their own shit! They are the ones who woke up those things, and still, they are far too happy to sit their asses off while we soldiers die out there!"

The Admiral wasn't exactly a compassionate man; he was drilled from the start of his military career that soldiers must protect their nation, even at the cost of their life.

However, he didn't want to order such a thing; those people in the labs were like him, like his subordinates, soldiers risking their lives for their nation. To bury those men alive… What kind of monster would he become if he just sacrificed the men serving under him? He was fighting to protect humanity, for god's sake!

However, that didn't change the fact that the prototypes must be destroyed….and sacrifices had to be made.

Maybe, in the end, he was the same as those politics he hated so much.

"Then what if I told you that there is a way to save those men?"

"Eh!?"

"And the best part is that wouldn't have to do anything. It's a win-win situation for you."

"Wha-? There is no such a thing….!"

"You just need to wait for the perfect moment."

"What does that mean…?"

"Admiral!" Suddenly, someone frantically knocked on his door. "Admiral, are you there? It's important!"

"Who?" He went to open the door, and the soldier behind it was so covered in sweat that it wouldn't be strange for him to have run around the entire base."What's going on, soldier?"

"Admiral! I am sorry, I went to the infirmary, but the doctor said you never arrived so…" He talked nervously.

"I asked what is going on." He repeated.

"Ah…yes, we have confirmed that a Siren fleet is currently heading towards the coasts of the River Thames."

"Sirens!? Now!?"

"I am afraid so, sir. What should we do? Should we order the assault force to retreat?"

"This is your opportunity, William." The voice reached his mind once more.

"An opportunity…?"

"Think about what you know about the prototypes and their relationship with the Sirens…I am sure I don't need to spell it what you should do, right?"

He didn't. He understood that the prototypes and the Siren were enemies. Attacking while they are occupied with them would force the prototypes to split their forces. He was never in favor of the phrase `the enemy of my enemy is my friend´, but it wasn't like the thought of using the Sirens didn't occur to him.

However...could he trust that voice?

"It's up to you, William. Either you fight a losing battle from the start or fight one where you have a chance of winning, no matter how small it may be."

"..."

Maybe it was the adrenaline playing a trick on his mind, or perhaps he was starting to lose his mind, but at that moment, he felt as if the voice was really trying to help him. Or maybe it was because, from the very start, he felt as if he knew the owner of that voice.

"Order the soldiers to wait for now." He ordered.

"W-wait, sir?"

"Yes, if Commander Marcia's reports were correct, then prototype 02 would send the other prototypes to fight the Sirens. When that happens, it will be the perfect time to attack." Without waiting for a response, he started walking back toward the commander center.

"Eh? Sir? With all due respect, isn't that a bit reckless? What if they ignore them?" The soldier quickly followed from behind.

"They won't, I am sure of it."

That was a lie; he couldn't be sure of what prototype 02 would do. However, this was his only chance of victory against them.

"Good choice." The voice approved. "You have come really far, haven't you?"

He didn't know if the voice in his head was a product of his decaying mind or if someone was out there trying to balance the scales in his favor. Either way, if there was a way to destroy the prototype without sacrificing the soldiers there, then he would take it at any cost.

He would protect humanity at any cost.

* * *

"What!? Your faction? Then why are they attacking us!?" I asked Warspite. My voice sounded agitated.

"I don't know! They used to be a bit aloof, but to attack their allies like this…." Even Warspite seemed confused. "It's the Admiral; he must have done something to them."

"The Admiral? What could-?" I was interrupted as the maid in front of me, now identified as Sirius, attacked. Lord Camelot easily blocked her slash.

Damn, I couldn't shift my focus off her for even a second.

"We'll figure out her motives later!"I pushed Sirius back, and then I shot a glance towards Warspite." Can I leave my back to you?"

"That's what I should be asking. Can you even fight her?" She sounded doubtful, and I couldn't blame her.

"Probably." I took a look at my bloody left arm; a small pool of blood was starting to form under it. It wasn't completely useless, but I couldn't exactly depend on its movement since it hurt like hell to even move it a bit. "At the very least, I can keep her occupied while you deal with the other one."

"…I have my reservations about your role here, Ritsuka Fujimaru, but I am willing to let you prove yourself." The knight met my eyes with determination." Don't disappoint me." Her eyes then went towards the other maid, Dido, ready to face her.

"Don't worry." I also put my eyes in the enemy maid. "She won't lay a finger on you as long as I breathe!"

And so the fight started again.

* * *

"What is…this?" Edinburgh asked as they approached something unexpected. They have been traversing River Thames for a while, the coast had long since disappeared from their view, and only azure waters surrounded them.

Only water, yes, aside from "that."

"Fog." Answered Sheffield as they looked at the thick and dense fog that extended in front of them as far as their eyes let them see. "The visibility is poor inside it. We should probably avoid it."

The maids tried to go around it, but no matter how much they move it to its sides, the wall of fog seemed interminable. It was so broad in length that going around it would probably take a long time, or at least more than they had until the Sirens reached the coast.

After about fifteen minutes, they stopped.

"Ahhh, this is endless!" Edinburgh groaned." It's like we haven't moved at all!"

"Wasn't this the point where we would encounter the enemy, Sheffield?" Asked Belfast.

"Yes, the enemy fleet should be close by; they must be traversing this fog now."

"Then maybe we should wait here until they leave the fog?" Edinburgh quickly proposed. "It's not that I am scared of entering it, but...the Sirens must have to leave it at some point, r-right?"

"I am inclined to agree." Belfast interceded. "This doesn't look like a natural phenomenon; it feels strange, almost like it's purposely blocking our path."

Belfast knew something wasn't right about the fog; she had no proof, but she felt that stepping into it would be a big mistake.

"That would pose some problems, though."

"Sheffield?"

"I have been trying to contact the base a few times since the moment we reached this fog, to ask for directions and the estimate position of the Sirens, but none went through."

"Eh!?" Edinburg tried to establish the mental link with the Queen, but she didn't get any answer. "How could it be? It was working just fine when Warspite told us that she would go back!"

Belfast also tried to call the base, but she seemed incapable of doing so like the other two maids.

"…"

First, the fog was acting like a barrier to stop them. Now, their communications were being jammed. With each passing moment, Belfast became more and more convinced that they were getting into some sort of trap.

But what could she do? The Queen ordered her to face the Sirens. Could she order a retreat and go against her Queen's orders, knowing that it was a trap? Or should they continue into the unknown? It was a difficult decision.

That decision, however, was robbed of her.

"Won't you make your move already?" Suddenly a voice could be heard coming exactly from under them. They quickly looked beneath them, only to find a pair of golden eyes staring intensely at them, with a deranged expression. "I'm starting to get bored."

"…!"

The maids quickly stepped back and readied their weapons. The Siren was submerged in the blue waters, but she was standing completely still as if the sea waves meant nothing to her.

Her body slowly ascended to the surface without difficulty. The Siren had long white air done in a ponytail and wore something resembling a school uniform and a pair of dark robotic-like boots.

"Here comes the one and only Purifier!" She shouted like an excited child as she made her entrance. "Miss me?"

The only answer she received was a bullet in the head, followed by a barrage of shots coming from Sheffield's pistols.

"Ah, come on!" She started dodging after the second bullet. "Is that how you received an old-?"

Not losing a single second, Belfast shot her canons where the Siren landed after dodging. Multiples pillars of water and smoke were raised as the rounds collided with the surface of the sea.

After the water became calm again, though, the Siren had disappeared.

"You really are fixed for not letting me talk." Like she had teleported, Purifier resurfaced from a completely different part of the sea. "Well, it doesn't matter; we'll have a LOT of time to talk in a minute." Purifier snapped her fingers.

And the fog started moving towards them.

"…! Back off!" Ordered Belfast.

"It's too late!" The fog quickly covered Purifier until it made her disappear inside it. "You entered our domains a long time ago!" The only thing that remained after the fog engulfed her was her voice.

"We are retreating; don't let that fog touch you!" Belfast issued her orders once again, and the three maids sailed to avoid the fog.

However…

"Bel! Look!"

When Belfast turned around, she found the path they had come from now covered by the same white and thick fog. They were trapped entirely between the two walls of fog, and they were quickly closing on them.

She didn't have time to question how that had happened. Her mind immediately thought of a way to salvage the situation.

"Stay together! We'll be easy prey if we are alone!" The head maid quickly tried to grab the two others.

"Oh no." The disembodied voice of Purifier resounded on their ears again. "You won't."

From the water jumped a machine-like black creature. It resembled a hammerhead shark but a lot bigger. The creature nosed dived towards none other than Sheffield.

"Sheffy!"

"Sheffield!"

The serious maid managed to dodge the shark's attack, and the creature submerged itself in the water again. However, it continued chasing her, swimming with incredible velocity.

Sheffield did her best to shoot the shark while underwater, however, the fog had already reached her, and before she could react, she was caught by it.

"No!" Edinburgh tried to go towards her disappearing figure but was stopped by Belfast. "Bel!? What are you doing!? We need to-?"

"Together," Belfast answered thoughtfully, as she grabbed Edinburgh hand with force. "Don't separate from me, sister."

"…okay!"

And so, they submerged themselves in the fog.

* * *

The world turned pure white as the mysterious fog engulfed Sheffield. She quickly tried to go back to where Belfast and Edinburg were, but she wasn't leaving the fog no matter how much she moved. Maybe she got her directions mixed up? She didn't know, everything looked the same.

She had to find a way out before…

"Sheeeeeffyyyyy." Sheffield could hear the Siren's voice in the distance.

Sheffield pointed her guns towards the voice's approximated source, but she couldn't see a thing.

"Sheeeffyyy" Purifier continued, her voice now came from the opposite direction. "Do you see me, Sheffy?"

Sheffield quickly moved her guns towards the new directions, but there was no one there, only fog.

"Am I there?" The voice moved again. "Here? Right here? What about, say... over there? No? Right here? No, I am here." The source of the voice kept moving, making it impossible for the maid to pinpoint her location. "Or maybe right behind you?" Purifier's voice now reached Sheffield's ear directly, like a whisper.

"…!"

Sheffield immediately shot behind her, turned back, and continued shooting towards the fog.

But it was futile. Purifier wasn't there.

"Show yourself, Siren" Sheffield was getting tired of getting toyed with.

"Are you mad at me, Sheffy? But I just wanted to talk with you! I even created this situation so nobody could interrupt us!"

"I have nothing to talk with the likes of you."

"Are you sure? It's about our common friend, Ritsuka Fujimaru." Purifier declared with a smug tone. "I am sure you must be curious about him and his motives."

"…"

Sheffield was indeed curious. That man was still largely a mystery to them. However, she knew better than to trust a Siren.

"No answer? Well, it's not like you have any other choice but to listen to me." Purifier declared victoriously.

"…We'll see." Sheffield quickly sailed, trying to get away from Purifier's voice.

"Now you are trying to escape the fog? How stubborn. You won't find the exit without my help." The Siren kept mocking Sheffield. "Just listen to me, Sheffy! I swear this is some really juicy information about your dear Master!" Don't refuse my generosity!"

Sheffield ignored the Siren's words, not even bothering to answer her.

Purifier sighed.

"Alright, guess you are not interested." Purifier pretended to lose interest in her. "Just don't come crying when your precious Queen becomes his toy."

Sheffield stopped.

"What did you say?"

"Oh? Interested now?" Purifier began to sound happy. "But she isn't the only one you should worry about; Belfast, Edinburgh, Warspite, you…all the Royal Navy are going to be kissing his feet soon enough.

"Even if he is our Master, he still has to answer to the Queen, like all of us." Sheffield declared.

It wasn't like she hadn't thought about Fujimaru betraying the Queen, but even if he did it, the Maid Corps would remain loyal to her; and Warspite wouldn't allow anything to happen to her either. No matter how strong he was as a human, he had no chance against all of them.

"Hahahahaha." Purifier laughed. "You don't really believe that, don't you? Or have you failed to notice how he is slowly inserting himself in your little faction? He seems well-liked by your precious Queen and the rest of the maids already…even you are starting to get fond of him, right?"

"…!"

Sheffield immediately shot her canons towards the source of the voice, but again, she only hit the sea.

"I'll take that as a yes!" Purifier sounded excited. "And I don't blame you; he is playing the slow game, saving you when I tried to kill you, making peace with Belfast, feigning loyalty towards you Queen… before you realize, the entire Royal Navy will be in his hand and you'll have no choice but to follow him on his indecipherable goal."

"His goal…? What is his goal?" Sheffield couldn't help but ask. Did the Siren know something that they didn't?

"Who knows? People from different worlds are sometimes a mystery even for us Sirens."

"Eh…?" Sheffield didn't understand."Different…worlds….?"

"Oh? He never told you?" Purifier chuckled. "Maybe I said too much?"

"Explain." However, Sheffield was serious. "What did you mean by that?"

"Well, you see…long ago, the being called Fujimaru Ritsuka didn't exist, there are no records of a man with that name being born into this world. The first registered encounter with him was seven years ago, in an Antarctic base."

"What…?"

"All I am saying is that he _came_ to this world rather than being _born_ here." She laughed as if she had told the funniest joke ever. "He is, an outsider, an alien entity to this world, maybe even an invader… just like us Sirens."

* * *

Slash after slash was blocked by Lord Camelot, the darting maid in front of me, Sirius, attacked without a rest.

I felt a drop of sweat going down my forehead as I continue blocking her attacks, a sign that I was starting to get tired; soon, my movements would indeed begin to get slower too. Meanwhile, the maid seemed to be in top condition, not stopping her assault for even a second.

I didn't know how long I could keep up with her.

The fight had reached a stalemate, she couldn't bypass Lord Camelot, and I couldn't find a gap to attack….No, it was more accurate to say that my offensive capabilities were reduced at that moment since I couldn't use my left hand, I couldn't use gandr or try to punch her. I could probably heal it with magecraft, but I needed my other hand to do it, which was currently occupied holding Lord Camelot.

Even though Warspite had appeared, the situation still wasn't the best for me. I could try to stall the maid until the knight could help me, but I didn't know how she was faring against her own opponent, and I couldn't exactly look away from Sirius to check on her.

All I could do was trust that she would be able to defeat Dido before I was defeated.

That didn't mean, however, that I wouldn't fight with all my might.

After blocking one of her attacks, I planted my feet on the ground, put force in my reinforced legs, and charged towards the maid. I hoped that a full blow with Lord Camelot would be enough to throw her off balance.

However, she resisted my blow, blocking it while wielding her sword with two hands. Damn it. She was so strong… I only managed to push her a few inches back at best.

At that moment, as our weapons were forcefully clashing, we were almost face to face. I failed to notice before, but she was quite beautiful; however, that beauty was disturbed by an emotionless stare in her red eyes; it was like looking at a doll, something without life.

I didn't know her at all, but that stare felt so wrong…so unnatural.

"You…you are not doing this because you want, right?" It was a shot in the dark, but I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong with her.

She didn't answer and kept looking at me with those dead eyes.

"Warspite said you were with the Royal Navy, and you are wearing a maid uniform like Belfast and the rest so… what have they done to you? Shouldn't you be with the Queen…?

"...!"

She suddenly leaped, finally putting some distance between us, and then adopted a defensive stance, the same maid that had been on the attack the entire time for some reason abandoned her assault and went into defense mode.

But that wasn't all, the moment she separated from me, I noticed something.

Her eyes twitched as I mentioned the Queen. It was a small detail, but being so close allowed me to see it clearly.

Could it be…?

"Elizabeth, do you hear me?" I spoke using the communicator that was still in my left ear. "Can you try something for me?"

* * *

While Fujimaru was doing his best to keep up with Sirius, Warspite fought the other maid, Dido.

The black sword repeatedly clashed against the red one. Like Sirius, Dido had adopted an all-attack approach, trying to overwhelm the knight with a flurry of slashes. Warspite, on the other hand, had been on the defensive since the battle started. However, it wasn't because she couldn't attack. It was because she was testing the maid.

Memories that seemed to be locked before resurfaced the moment she saw the two swordswomen. They had spared before, she clearly remembered that, and something was different from back then. She didn't realize at first, but as she kept deflecting the maid's sword, she was getting more convinced: Dido's style was all over the place.

It wasn't that she lacked technique; she was clearly skilled in the use of the sword, but something was missing…

After the last clash, Warspite made a few steps back and lowered her sword. Then, she stood still, patiently waiting for Dido's next attack.

The maid didn't doubt for a second and attacked the unprotected knight with a vertical swing. But before the attack could touch Warspite, she raised her left arm and the metal side of a ship blocked the maid's attack.

"…!"

The maid's attack was deflected by Warspite's partial release of her rig, which immediately disappeared as the knight attacked with a diagonal swing.

Dido didn't dodge in time, and the sword ate her flesh, staining the sword even redder.

"Dido should have seen that coming. It's unthinkable for a trained swordsman to lower her sword in the middle of a battle. She should have known I was up to something." Warspite thought.

A pained expression appeared on Dido's face; a big wound now went through her stomach to her chest. Regardless, she was adamant about continuing to fight.

"How futile." Warspite thought, and she didn't move her sword to block Dido's attack; instead, she just dodged.

"…!"

Dido didn't give up and continued attacking with a series of swings, but Warspite dodged all of them.

She had the right techniques, but she lacked adaptability and future planning. Fighting her was no different from fighting a machine with prerecorded moves; and now that she was wounded, her movements were far more predictable.

The fight was already over. Even if she could still fight for a while, the maid couldn't possibly win against her.

Warspite had won; the only thing left was to find a way to neutralize her without killing her…

But then, something happened: Dido suddenly stopped her attacks and freeze on the spot.

"Your…" Dido put her hands on her head, dropping her sword on the ground, and started talking to herself. "Your…Majesty."

She fell on her knees, still grabbing her head with force.

"Your Majesty!" She repeated, like a trace."Don't…don't abandon me, your Majesty!" She started screaming. "Please don't abandon me!"

"What…?" Warspite didn't understand what had happened, but she heard a loud sound behind her when she was about to approach Dido.

So she turned back and saw the unthinkable.

* * *

For Sirius, the only thing that mattered was her mission: the destruction of the non-human threats. No other thing occupied her mind; for she was a weapon, a machine. Her world only existed as far as wielding her sword to defeat her targets. That's why when she heard the word "Queen", she felt confused.

"Queen…a Queen."

Why did that word resonate so much on her mind? She didn't know. Apart from completing her mission, that word should have been useless, as she only existed for one sole purpose.

Any other thing was irrelevant.

Yes, she only needed to swing her sword and defeat her target. Thoughts were unnecessary and useless to her mission.

Having cleaned her mind of useless thoughts, she readied to attack the man again.

"Sirius, Dido. Stop your actions at once." However, a voice resonated in her mind, a voice different from her own. "This is an order from your Queen, Elizabeth I!"

And with those simple words, her small world collapsed.

"Queen…Queen Elizabeth…." She repeated her name, a name she had never heard before, but that it was still so familiar to her.

Queen Elizabeth…. the Queen of the Royal Navy…she had to protect her.

No, that was wrong. Her mission was to eliminate the non-human threat. That was the mission assigned to her since the day she was born into the world. Her creators said it, and they kept saying it: "Eliminate your targets. If you can't eliminate your targets, put an end to your existence." Those were her orders; that was her reason for existing.

But the Queen…she can't be left alone. Even though she was the Queen, she was still pretty much a child, sometimes too naïve for her good. That's why the maid corps existed, to be there when the Queen needed them.

Yes, she had to be protected; she had to be followed.

But her mission….no, that didn't matter, her place was with the Queen, her place was in the maid corps, as a maid and bodyguard.

"Your Majesty…" She muttered.

How could she have forgotten about the person she swore loyalty towards? Why was she fighting, if not for her Queen? A mission? Eliminate non-human threats? Why would she do that? How could she benefit the Queen with that?

But then who was she fighting so earnestly? Who was this male…human? Was he human? No, he was one of the non-human threats. He couldn't possibly be human if he was fighting her without help...but she sure looked like a human.

She tried to look at the "human" again, but she felt a sudden pain in her stomach. A strong blow was directed to her guts in mere seconds, and before she could counter-attack, she was already on the floor.

The man immediately pinned her to the floor, holding both of her arms with a strength rivaling her own. She tried to fight back, but he pushed her to the ground. He was effectively on top of her.

"Stay down." He said, looking fiercely at her with his blue eyes."If you move or try to materialize your sword, I'll break both of your arms."

He was serious. Sirius didn't find a trace of doubt in his words.

"Who…?" To be so easily overpowered, Sirius couldn't help but ask."Who…are you?"

"He is Ritsuka Fujimaru, Commander of the Royal Navy and Master of the Maid Corps." It was Elizabeth who answered, her prideful voice still resounded on her head due to the mental link. "He is your Master."

"Master…? My…honorable Master?"

* * *

Leaving Lord Camelot to the side to heal my arm, attacking directly and trying to restrain the maid with just my reinforced arms. Those series of actions were nothing short of suicidal; any wrong movement could have left me in a nasty spot.

However, it worked.

"Stay down. If you move or try to materialize your sword, I'll break both of your arms." I wasn't lying; I was prepared to make both her arms useless if she tried anything funny. I didn't fully know if my plan had worked, but I wasn't taking any chances.

"Who…? Who are you?"She looked at me surprised, the first glimpse of emotion I have seen her show. Had hearing Elizabeth woke her up from her trance?

However, before I could respond, she seemed to have found her answer.

"Master…? My…honorable Master?" She asked, expectantly.

"…"

She was speaking naturally and showing a lot more emotion than before. Maybe I was right, and hearing the voice of Elizabeth dispelled whatever was happening to her.

"I am not sure about the honorable part, but I am _a_ Master." I wasn't sure about being _her_ Master in particular since we didn't know each other at all. "How do you feel? Do you remember Warspite and everyone else?"

"My honorable master…." She didn't answer; she just kept looking at me as if she had never seen someone like me before. And to be fair, it was probably that, they don't seem to know of magecraft or about magi.

"…anyway, you won't attack me, right?"

She blinked at my question and then shook her head.

"Good, I'll release you now then…" I relaxed the grip on my hands a bit, as she didn't seem to be lying.

"No."

"Huh?"

"My honorable Master….I have caused you troubles…I even raised my sword against you…" Sirius's tone was remorseful. "So it's fine….you should punish me now."

"Huh…what?"

"Punish me! Teach this incompetent maid some proper manners!" Her tone suddenly went from remorseful to a weird kind of excited.

"…."

Suddenly my entire body was frozen in the place, as I had no words to answer such ridiculous request. My brain quickly searched for a logical explanation, but found none and basically stopped working.

Unable to make any proper movement, I just maintained my position on top of her.

"What are you two doing?" Asked Warspite, coming from behind and looking at us as if we were a pair of weirdos.

I slowly looked towards Warspite, which I think was the only sane person in the room, and answered.

"I honestly have no idea."

I thought that, when I finally beat one of these superhuman beings entirely myself, I would feel proud; I would feel like I had overcome a great challenge with just my abilities. So why? Why do I feel like I had lost instead?

I looked at the maid again; she was blushing while giving me a somewhat passionate stare.

…Yes, I had won. I had won a very close battle using all my abilities and critical thinking.

But against a pervert, I won using all my might against a pervert.

…

…

…

Give me back my expectations, Sirius.

* * *

"That's a lie." Sheffield immediately rejected that ridiculous idea, for her Master to be from a different world…it didn't make sense.

"Ah, but it's the truth." Purifier continued, her voice sounded pleasant."We Sirens can look through different timelines and worlds, so even if he somehow got rid of his family records, he wouldn't be able to escape our eyes."

"It was foolish of me even to hear you." Still, Sheffield was having none of that; she sailed again, resuming her search for an exit of the fog.

"Ah, but you feel it, don't you? That he isn't a normal person? That he is hiding something from you all?" Her words were like poison. "I know you aren't dumb, dear Sheffy. You must have noticed how he immediately got accustomed to giving orders, despite being just a middle-school teacher."

"…" Sheffield couldn't deny that, no matter how much she wanted. Fujimaru didn't feel like someone who just got involved in the humans and Siren's war by accident; he was far too experienced in warfare and fighting for that. But to go from that to being someone capable of traveling between worlds …

"You don't have to believe me. Just ask him. Ask him about his past, ask him who Mashu was." The Siren voice began to sound far away. "That name will surely bring you closer to his real objective."

"Mashu…?" Sheffield didn't remember anyone with that name, nor did she remember Ritsuka mentioning it.

This time, Purifier didn't answer, but something happened around her: the fog started to dissipate, and the world started to become clear again.

"Just remember, be careful with that man who came from another world." When Purifier spoke again, she could finally be seen, still inside the fog. "As he isn't your ally, he is his own ally and has his own objectives."

Sheffield once again pointed her guns at her, but didn't pull the trigger this time. She had doubts; Purifier words had managed to reach the insecurities about her Masters deeply rooted inside her; she couldn't know if that man was indeed her ally or an enemy waiting to strike.

However…

"Regardless of what my Master may or may not be, you'll always be my enemy, Siren." She said to Purifier, her words full of determination.

"Fufufufu, we'll see that, little pawn." Purifier smiled. "Maybe there will be a time when we'll be on the same side of the board."

"But that time is not now." Sheffield released a barrage of bullets, and the image of Purifier got distorted by the bullets and disappeared like smoke, as if she had been just an illusion of the white fog.

* * *

"Sheffy!"

As the fog slowly dissipated, Sheffield managed to see the two other maids approaching her, Edinburgh waving her hand.

"Edinburgh, Belfast. How is the situati-?" She got interrupted as Edinburgh suddenly threw herself on her.

"Sheffy! I was so worried!" She hugged her hard. "How are you feeling? She didn't do anything weird to you right?" The maid started inspecting Sheffield, searching for any kind of wound or irregularity on her clothes.

"I am fine; you don't have to worry so much."

"Did you encounter the enemy, Sheffield?" Belfast showed her concern in a milder manner.

"Yes, but she didn't attack me. Rather it seems like she just wanted to speak nonsense." The serious maid didn't mention her suspicions about her Master, that could wait until they meet again. "What about you two?"

"Ahhh, it was horrible! That metal shark didn't leave us alone for a single minute!"

"Thankfully, we managed to avoid it without getting separated, however…" A pained expression appeared on Belfast's face. "You were right, we could hardly fight back. That Siren isn't like the others; it won't be enough with just us."

"Nope, I'll say you need at least two factions working together to have at least a slim chance." Purifier voice still could be heard.

"Waaah, she is still here?" Edinburgh quickly separated from Sheffield, and the three of them adopted once again their battle positions.

From the fog jumped Purifier, mounted on the black shark; the enormous black and golden machine was floating in the sky, rather than in the water.

"Did you think I'd leave without saying goodbye? I am not that heartless." The Siren made a reverence. "Farewell, friends! Next time be sure to bring Ritsuka along!" Her eyes began to shine with a mad glow. "Otherwise, it wouldn't feel as good to tear your limbs apart."

She was about to leave but stopped at the last minute.

"Ah, before I forget. Here is a parting gift."

Purifier snapped her fingers again, but this time, the fog began retreating…only to reveal an entire fleet of Siren Ships, surrounding the maid trio and pointing their guns at them.

"Have fun."

And with those words, she left alongside her shark.

* * *

The Admiral sat crestfallen on his office chair, hiding an expression of defeat; a mortuary silence reined the room as he asked not to be disturbed.

His standard, neat black military jacket was now half open and unkempt; the cap that normally accompanied the uniform was thrown to the floor alongside a few dozen of papers. A bottle was on his hand, which he periodically brought to his lips.

He had failed.

They had lost contact with the assault squad sent with the new prototypes for about two hours now; it was clear that they had been captured or killed by that point. The status was unknown for the prototypes, but they seemed to have suffered the same fate.

He took another sip of his whisky bottle. The alcoholic beverage made his throat burn to the point that it hurt.

It was his last chance, and he was defeated. Now the rouge prototypes will surely counterattack with full force. Without the surprise factor, there was nothing they could do to defend themselves. Even if they started the gestation of another prototype, it wouldn't be ready on time.

He had lost. Humanity had lost.

"Well, aren't you been a little melodramatic?"

"You…you lied to me!" The Admiral shouted, even though he was utterly alone. "You said that I would win if I followed what you said!"

"Oh? You misunderstood. I only said you had an opportunity. If those two had attacked the base normally, they would have been obliterated in minutes."

"The outcome was still the same!" He once again lowered his gaze. "We lost…"

"Come on, William, are you going to throw the towel at this point of the game?"

"Shut up. Don't act as if we were close." He drank more whisky. "And it's over now; there is nothing to do besides fighting until our last breath."

"Well, not necessary." The voice now sounded mischievous.

"Huh?"

"I can help you, William."

"Are you kidding me!? Your last plan was shit! Why would I ever trust you again!?"

"Because." The Admiral suddenly felt a hand touching his shoulder from behind. "We are old friends, William." The voice was no longer just on his head.

The Admiral immediately stood up, took his pistol, and pointed it to the apparition.

"No…." He recognized the man now in front of him, and his gun was lowered almost without realizing it."You…you are…"

He wore a similar military uniform aside from the medals he wore on his shoulder. Even the same cap was on his head, although when his own cap hid the lack of hair pretty much since his twenties, the apparition had short black hair. However, the uniform wasn't what took his breath away. It was his face; those brown eyes and that foolish, almost sickly optimistic smile he had seen so many times before, and thought he would never see again.

"Long time no see, my friend." The apparition said, his voice had a calm tone.

"You are just in my head…you aren't real!"

"Isn't what is real and what isn't a bit vague nowadays?"

"You got killed! I saw your mangled body…I…I even went to your funeral!"

"And it was such a nice funeral. 'Fallen in the line of duty.' they said, 'He died for his country.' they repeated, 'He was a hero.' they said to my crying widow. If only they knew I was split in half by a faulty government experiment."

"Shut up!" He threw the whisky bottle to the apparition that wore the face of his friend, who easily dodged it. "Don't talk as if you were really him, you are just…"

"William."

"…!" The Admiral couldn't continue, as the apparition had just appeared just in front of him.

"Come one, you know me, William." The man took him by the face and looked straight into his eyes. "Don't you remember those times in the academy? Like when I took the blame when you sneaked alcohol in behind our superiors' back? Or when we got into a fight because some idiots wanted to steal our rations?"

"No…" He did remember those events, but he simply couldn't accept it. "You can't be here…you died. Those accursed things killed you!"

"But I came back, and it's all thanks to this." The man extended his hand, and on it appeared a black and purplish box, it was similar to the cubes they used to create the prototypes, but with a black shine instead of a blue one.

"What…is that?"

"The answer to your problems, my friend."

The cube's black shine dazed the Admiral; it was as if the object absorbed the light around it like an insatiable black hole. He couldn't help but feel attracted to the mysterious object, and he extended his hand to touch it.

The exact moment his finger grazed the surface of the cube, the box released a wave of black light, and the room was submerged in darkness.

The only thing that remained visible in the dark room was the glowing golden eyes of the apparition.

**END OF CHAPTER 13**

* * *

**ANNOUNCEMENT:** The story has a discord server now, feel free to come by and chill.

Invite : discord.gg/kvRCbruzaT 

**AN:** Chapter 13 done. As with the last one, I have nothing much to say, apart from that I really liked writing the Sirens this chapter. Also, I really wish the Admiral parts were at least alright, I am pretty sure most people don't care much about him since he is the obvious villain, but I wanted to give him more flavor apart from the "evil military man." Also, writing him swear is somewhat cathartic.

And I think that it's, if you want to ask me something, you can hit me on the discord, I guess I'll be posting periodic (PERIODIC) update there and I don't know, maybe bicker about VNs I am playing right now.

See you on next chapter.


	14. Royal Tea Time

"Do you understand, Sirius?"

After explaining very thoroughly that I wasn't going to punish her in any conceivable way, Sirius and I managed to reach an understanding and recover some kind of human, or in her case non-human, decency.

"Yes, my honorable Master, however, I believe that pardoning me this easily will set a bad example for the rest of the maids; that's why I still think that I should be punished for my actions." She said, soundly completely serious.

"…"

I facepalmed. Of course, it wasn't going to be that easy. It was never easy with these maids.

"I'll think of something later." I tried to reach a compromise."So can we leave it at that for now?"

"Understood." Sirius looked resigned but finally accepted.

I sighed deeply.

"Did you beat the other one?" I asked Warspite as I stood up and helped Sirius to do the same.

"I wounded her." She answered; a tired expression occupied her face. "In fact, she might just bleed out completely while you two fool around." Warspite eyes judged us; we must have looked like a pair of perverts to her. And frankly, I couldn't blame her.

"Say it sooner, then." I quickly walked past her and approached the other maid, who was still kneeling on the floor with both hands on her head. As Warspite said, she had a big wound that went through her chest to her stomach.

"Your Majesty…your Majesty…" However, she seemed more mentally affected than physically; hearing Elizabeth's voice really did a number on her.

"Hey, are you alright?" I kneeled down to her level as I prepared to use healing magecraft.

"I'll be useful, so please don't abandon me." She was in a trance; it didn't seem like she had noticed my presence.

Oh well.

"Excuse me." I put my right hand on her chest, trying my best not to touch her frankly ample breasts, and started reciting the healing spell.

At that moment, I again noticed the hole in her clothes; it showed a direct view of the lower side of her boobs, and I, for the love of God, couldn't understand why it was there. It wasn't like it was torn; the fabric clearly ended there. Her clothes were designed with that hole in mind.

I had some theories about the possible uses of that hole, but I did my best not to think about it and focus on healing her.

As with the rest of magecraft areas, healing wasn't my forte. The spell I was using was only a modified version of the one engraved in my old Chaldea uniform; it only worked as a replacement for first aid; it wouldn't wholly heal such a big wound. Still, it should stop the bleeding at least.

Or that's what I thought. But when the green light on my hand entered in contact with the maid, the wound began to close itself and rather quickly on top of it.

"…?"

I was honestly a bit confused; I could swear my healing was as mediocre as the rest of my abilities. Maybe it was more effective on her, or rather on her species, for some reason?

While I was asking myself that, I noticed that Dido stopped her mumbling about the Queen and was now looking at me with an expression I could only describe as a mixture of fear and confusion.

"Who…who are you?"

I felt a sense of déjà vu.

"I…" But when I was about to answer and possibly start another round of tomfoolery like with Sirius before, I suddenly felt dizzy, and my vision began to blur. I had to put a hand on the ground to avoid falling.

"Are you alright?" Dido must have noticed my state because she now sounded worried.

"I am fine, just…." I was losing my focus; the light of the healing spell began to waver as it started to lose force. The colors were slowly disappearing from my sight.

Ah, I see what's happening.

"Dido, can I ask for a favor?" I no longer saw her. Even though my eyes were open, I could only see small figures disappearing in the darkness.

"Eh?"

"Hold me for a bit."

After that, everything went dark, and I lost consciousness.

* * *

"Ahhh….ahhh….I….." I breathed deeply, searching for air to fill my lungs again. I was exhausted; my whole body was covered in sweat. However, this time was a success. "I…I think have done it!" I presented the sword to Emiya. Glowing green lines had appeared on it.

Emiya took the short sword and carefully examined the blade and the hilt. Then, he made a few test swings in the air.

"What do you think?"

"Sorry, Master. Another failure."

"What!?" I couldn't contain my surprise. "But it's glowing! It's just like you showed me! What you mean it's a-" I stopped because he suddenly moved the sword.

And stabbed me in the stomach.

"Wha-!?" My eyes immediately moved toward my stomach, only to find that I was not only safe and sound but that the sword I had reinforced was broken.

"When the reinforcement spell fails, the object you were trying to strength weakens instead." He handed me the broken sword. "Adding your magical energy to a complete object is usually harmful to it; if you don't control it well, the object will receive it as poison."

I took the sword and touched its broken blade. Surprisingly enough, it broke even more as I ran my finger on it.

I sighed deeply.

"Haa…maybe I am not cut for this magecraft thing after all." I collapsed on the floor, feeling disappointed in myself. "Sorry for wasting your time, Emiya."

"Are you giving up, Master?" If Emiya himself felt disappointed, it didn't show in his voice. In fact, I could almost feel a taunting tone in his tone.

"Well, I have my mystic code with me already; I won't go on a rayshift without it." I spoke words that only served to convince myself. "Besides, you are all there for me, right? I don't actually need to learn magecraft, do I?"

"Oh? But tell me, are you satisfied with that Master? Are you satisfied with always being protected?"

"I…" I lowered my gaze. "I am not, but….it doesn't matter. Even if I learn how to use reinforcement…Will that truly make the difference with the things out there?"

Being a Magus made no difference when a Servant could snipe me from kilometers away or if the assassin is undetectable until its dagger was on my throat.

"Hmm…maybe it would buy you three or four more seconds?"

"Then…"

"However." He smiled and laughed a bit. "That's enough time for us to act, Master."

"Eh?"

"A magus alone would never survive this ordeal, but you have us, Master. You don't need to be able to do everything by yourself. As long as you can support yourself with your magecraft long enough to let us act, something as mundane as a reinforced poster can make the difference between life and death."

"A…reinforced poster?" I didn't understand what he meant.

"What I am trying to say is that no matter how grim the situation may be, as long as you keep trying, you have a chance, if only minimal, but a chance in the end.'" He extended his hand, and a sword exactly like the one I had broken appeared in his hand. "It's the moment you stop trying when everything it's over."He took the sword by the blade and extended it to me.

I looked at Emiya; his gaze mocked me as if challenging me and saying "Will you give up already? I expected more from you."

"…I am going to reinforce this sword so well that it will cut through metal like it was butter." I stood up and took the sword, finding my resolve again.

"Hah, we'll see that." Emiya smiled with defiance.

* * *

The moment I opened my eyes again, I found myself lying on a bed, the ceiling above my head looking vaguely familiar. However, I didn't have time to think about it because I felt an aching pain assaulting my entire body when I moved a muscle; the pain was extreme in my limbs.

It felt like I had been hit by a truck, and not content with that, stakes had been nailed into each of my arms and legs.

In other words, I felt like shit.

"Arrrgh." I sat on the bed with difficulty and looked at my surroundings. I was in the room that was assigned to me by the Queen, and most importantly, I was not alone.

"Dido...?"

The maid was sat on a chair next to my bed; her eyes were closed as she appeared to be sleeping. Her head slowly bounced towards the front, being dangerously close to make her fall.

"What are you doing here…? What…happened?" I tried to remember, but my memories were fuzzy.

While I did my best to recall the events that led to this situation, the room's door was opened, and someone walked in.

"Oh? You have finally awakened, my honorable Master."

"Sirius…what happened? Why am I in bed?"

"Don't you remember? You blacked out after our fight; you have been sleeping since then, my honorable Master. We brought you here so you could rest."

"Huh…is that so?" I brought my hand to my head and massaged my temples. "How many hours…?"

"Fourteen."

"Fourteen!?"

"You seemed to have severely overexerted yourself." For a second, Sirius diverted her gaze. "Even her Majesty was worried that you would never wake up again; it was difficult to make her understand that you were just unconscious."

"Ahhh…that long…" I held my head in my hands.

I knew it; this was the consequence of overusing my magical energy. I had been using reinforcement magecraft almost nonstop from the moment we beat Marcia's soldiers. Something like this was bound to happen; my energy reserves weren't exactly that large after all.

But fourteen hours were too much; I should be careful from now on.

"Wait, what happened with Belfast and the rest?" I suddenly remembered. "They went to fight the Sirens and-! "

"Don't worry, they are safe." Sirius quickly reassured me. "They returned a few hours ago, thankfully with only a few scratches. However, the leader of the Sirens managed to get away."

"Ah…good." I felt relieved at first, but a sudden thought was born in my mind. Why was I so worried in the first place? Had I really got that attached to them in this short time, even when we weren't precisely allies?

"…"

"This wasn't like in Chaldea. I was their Master in name only." I reminded myself. "My true objective was stopping Elizabeth, and if the maids get in the way, stopping them too..."

Frankly, now that I have come to know them, I would preferably not harm any of them. They weren't exactly bad people, just difficult to deal with. Even Sheffield, who had tried to kill me, could have some laid-back conversation with me now.

But if they continued following Elizabeth's plan, I wouldn't have another choice to face them as an enemy.

"…" As my eyes wandered in the room, they found the sleeping figure of Dido again.

"By the way, why is Dido sleeping here?"

"I told her that she could rest for a while, but she insisted on remaining by your side all this time, my honorable Master."

"All this time...?" I stared at the sleeping figure of the maid, to be here for fourteen hours...I couldn't help but to be impressed.

"She wanted to thank you for what you did back then." Sirius tided her head. "I am not sure what that green light was, but her wounds got almost completely heal."

"Ah, yes, that's one of my…abilities; I was trying to heal her." I looked at my right hand. "I didn't manage to finish, though." And that's probably what exhausted my magical reserves. How pathetic. "How is she? Did the wound close itself successfully? Was the scar too big? I can probably heal her wound completely once I get better."

Sirius didn't answer and just stared at me without saying anything.

"Sirius?"

"I am truly sorry, my honorable Master." She bowed deeply. "Despite what we did to you, you still care about us lowly maids; we don't deserve your compassion."

I sighed.

"…I won't lie: I wasn't meant to fight you." I confessed. "As my title indicates, I am supposed to be a Commander, not a frontline fighter. I could have lost my life back there."

I could immediately notice how she trembled at my words. She really was remorseful.

"However, from what I could tell, you weren't yourself when you attacked Warpite and me." I tried my best to reassure her. "And even if we got a bit hurt, no one died in the end, right?" I remembered how even while in that trance, they knocked out the soldiers rather than killing them. "So it's fine; what matters is that you returned to normal."

"Pardon me, but it's not fine." She raised her head, looking completely serious. "It doesn't matter that I wasn't myself." Sirius slowly approached and…started climbing the bed. "That doesn't change the fact that I hurt my honorable Master."

"Hmm…Sirius?" I didn't like where this was going.

"That's why you should punish this naughty maid, who dared to raise her hand against her Master." She crawled on the bed until being on top of me.

"Sirius, this is…" I tried to say.

"Do you dislike it, my honorable Master? In that case, I'll apologize and stop immediately." She looked at me straight in the eyes, her red-tinted ones showing no trace of doubt.

Before such gaze, I was speechless.

She must have interpreted my silence as a yes, because she sat on my lap and moved even closer to me, putting her hands around me and shoving her face inches from mine.

"I'll accept any punishment; you can do whatever you want with me, my honorable Master."

I probably could shake her off if I tried, but I couldn't take my eyes off her being. She was beautiful. The previous unemotional red eyes who stared coldly at me during our fight now seemed to shine with a crimson passion. Her ample bosom slowly pressed against my own chest, letting me feel its godly softness, her lips, centimeters away from mine, slowly parted away as she spoke.

"Will that be fine, my honorable Master?"

However, she stopped there; she didn't impose herself aside from acting seductively. She…actually wanted me to make the first move; she wanted me to say that it was okay for us to continue.

And frankly, it was difficult for me to say no.

"We've just met; we don't know each other." I tried to think of excuses, doing my best to not see her directly but failing spectacularly.

"You are my honorable Master, chosen by the Queen herself. As a royal maid, I swore to give both my body and my heart to you."

"That doesn't mean anything. You may find something that you don't like about me in the future. You may even hate me."

"I would never." She declared seriously. "As long as you allow it, I will remain by your side, even if the whole world turns against you, my honorable Master."

To be declared such a thing made me skip a beat, and she said it with such conviction that I couldn't just disregard it. Had she fallen in love with me? No, that was impossible; people didn't suddenly fall in love with someone they just met, much less with people they had a fight with. Love was different. Love was something else, something that was built slowly as two people interacted and got to know each other. It was a sentiment born from the desire of never being apart from that person, the person you loved.

Love was…

* * *

"Hmm…are you…ready?" I said, trying not to look her in the eyes.

"I…." Mashu stuttered, also evading my gaze. "I am."

"Then…if excuse me." I brought my hand to her reddened cheek, it felt so soft that I almost forget what I was trying to do, and remained motionless for a few seconds.

Mashu must have noticed my state of daze, because she finally looked at me, with waiting eyes.

"Ah…maybe you want to take your glasses off? I don't want to… accidentally break them or something…" I brought my hand to the back of my head in embarrassment. What the hell was I saying? Was I really that stupid?

"Yes...! Better to be sure…" She slowly put her glasses away while I wondered if my breath didn't stink. Had I used toothpaste this morning? I couldn't remember, but I wished I did.

"Senpai…?" Mashu's eyes now looked at me unrestricted. The glasses looked good on her violet eyes, but she gave a different feeling without them.

She always wore her glasses while we were in Chaldea, at peace, but they were always off while we ventured into the singularities; there, her peaceful gaze turned into one decision, the look of someone ready to fight for what she believed and protect those she cared about.

And even that decisive gaze still retained the innocence of a child, one that always brightened up the moment she discovered something new.

Maybe it was that gaze in her eyes that made me fall in love with her.

"Mashu…" I slowly moved closer to her.

She didn't say anything; she just closed her eyes and awaited my move.

And when our lips finally touched, I felt everything leaving me. Nothing mattered anymore, no Solomon, Chaldea, or Humanity, only she and I mattered.

Me and the person I loved the most.

* * *

Those memories…I remembered them as clear as day, it was like they had just happened instead of being years away. Those memories didn't leave me in all that time and I didn't think I could ever forget about them. Because whenever I closed my eyes, I could still see her, smiling and laughing.

I was happy back then, _we_ were happy.

But those moments, however beautiful, would never come to happen again. That was the undeniable truth.

"Are you truly alright with this?" I stared directly into Sirius's eyes as I asked.

"Yes, my honora-"

I didn't let her finish because my lips meet hers in a passionate kiss. She soon understood my intent and opened her mouth to allow my tongue inside. Her hands hugged strongly as if she was afraid I would pull back, and I did the same; I didn't want to separate from her for even a second.

This wasn't love. It was obviously not love…but it didn't have to be love.

Her lips and mouth were warm, enough to almost melt my tongue; her intoxicating essence reached my nostrils and assaulted my brain. She invaded me completely; there was no other thought in mind that wasn't the taste of her lips, the softness of her body.

I wanted her; I desperately wanted her.

However, that hypnotizing spell came to an end as we had to reach for air and our lips separated. Our ragged breaths resounded in the silence of the room; we stared hungrily at each other, our foreheads touching.

"Dido is here." I said, my rational part made a last effort to stop us before we could indulge in debauchery.

"I will try to hold my voice, my honorable Master." She kissed me again with a light kiss and then moved to my neck, planting small kisses while slowly going downwards.

This was not bad at all.

If she wanted it, then who was I to reject it? Truth be told, I wanted it as well.

We had no reason to stop.

While she continued kissing, I moved my hands towards the back of her uniform, and I could feel with my digits the fabric of her clothes as I started to undress her. However, before I could actually work my way through her clothes, I noticed that Dido was no longer sleeping. In fact, she was watching us with the expression of a terrified child while hiding half her face with what I presumed was an old doll.

And at that exact moment, I realized what exactly we were doing.

"…Sirius, let's stop." I said, and I couldn't hide the disappointment in my voice. "This…this is not the time for this."

"Huh?" She looked at me with surprise. I made a gesture pointing at Dido. She quickly looked at her, then back at me. After that, she silently un-mounted me, and got up from the bed.

"My honorable Master, I am aware that Dido wanted to speak with you, so I'll be leaving to let you have your privacy." She said professionally as if nothing had happened. "In the meantime, I am going to inform her Majesty that you have awakened."

"…Thanks, Sirius."

She nodded, made a small reverence, and exited the room.

The moment she disappeared from my sight, I sank my face in my hands once again. I wanted to scream for my idiocy, but I was in front of Dido, one of the beings I was supposed to command, so I did the impossible to restrain myself.

"Sorry for that…it…it is not always like this." I did my best to apologize. "I was…. I was just…" I failed to find a logical reason for us to start having sex in front of her, maybe because there was none.

"No… I…." She stuttered. "I-I understand!"

"Huh?" There was nothing to understand, I was just an idiot.

"What Sirius said…it's the truth." She lowered her gaze. "We hurt you, Master, and that's unforgivable. You have every right to discard us…"

"As I said, it's…"

"So I understand! If it's necessary I too…" Dido blushed profoundly. "If you desire it, I too would…."

"…"

What the fuck.

What are these beings? Are they actually all like this? Or am I just going crazy? No….maybe it's a tricky tactic? They want to appeal to my carnal desire, so I remain with them? Is that what's happening? Truth to be told, I had a fair amount of this type of encounters in Chaldea, but most of them were just my Servants teasing me, they weren't this…openly lustful with me; even Kiara in all her lewdness never offered herself in such direct way.

"M-Master?" Dido's voice sounded tense; maybe she thought I was ignoring her on purpose.

"Sorry, I was lost in thought." I tried to erase those thoughts from my head. "And again, sorry for giving you the wrong impression, but I don't have…that type of relationship with the maids; you don't have to offer yourself in this way."

"But…! I want to be useful!" Dido suddenly took my hand on hers. "I want to be useful, so you don't want to abandon me, Master!"

She really looked worried, even though I had made no sign of disliking her. Frankly, I was beginning to feel bad for her.

Maybe…she could help me.

"Alright." I have decided, if she really wanted to be useful, then I could think of something. "Do you really want to be useful to me, Dido?"

"Yes!" She nodded with conviction.

"And you would do anything I ask?"

"Anything." She lightly pressed my hand as if proving her point.

"Alright, I want you to remember that feeling."

"Huh?" She was reasonably confused.

"I'll be honest; I don't need anything right now, but maybe…" I tried to choose my words carefully. "Maybe there will be a time when I will; maybe there will be a time when I'll be surrounded by enemies." I stared directly at Dido. "If that time comes, I want you to be by my side, Dido."

"I'll always be by your side, Master! No matter what could happen I-"

"Even if the enemy is the Queen?" I interrupted her.

"Ah…? But…that's…" I could almost see turmoil going on her head. "That's..." She couldn't continue, it was clear that she couldn't fathom the idea of her Master and Her Queen being enemies. Knowing how worried she was about being "abandoned" by either of us, I could bet she felt incredibly lost.

"Don't worry; it's just a hypothetical situation." I tried to calm her. "You don't have to do anything, nor you have to choose between the Queen and me. Just remember this conversation, okay?"

"….Yes, Master." She said, probably not entirely convinced yet.

Hopefully, a time where Elizabeth and I were enemies would never come to happen. Still, it couldn't hurt to be prepared…to be prepared to neutralize her before she could willingly or unwillingly hurt the people of this country.

"The only thing I ask, however." I got up from the bed. "Is that you don't talk about this exchange with the others."

"Ah! Of course! This will be our secret!" She seemed to realize something and smiled "…a secret with Master."

"Good, now let's go meet-" I tried to walk toward the door, but a sudden pain in my muscles almost made me fall.

"Master!?" Dido came out of her trance the moment she saw that.

"I am fine." I put my hand on the wall to avoid falling. "Just…help me walk for a bit, okay? I am still a bit weak."

"Ah…sure!"

She quickly came and put my arm on her shoulder to help me stand up.

"Is this ok, Master? Does it hurt?"

"No, I am fine, I just need a bit of time; I'll be in top condition before you know it." I assured her. "Now, let's go meet the Queen. She must want to see me after my "nap."

"Alright, I'll be moving slowly to not hurt you. Is that okay?" For the first time, there was no nervousness in her voice, and I even could feel some cheerfulness. Could it be that she had finally found peace now that she was actually helping me to do something?

I smiled.

" I failed to introduce myself before. I am Fujimaru Ritsuka, Master of the Maid Corps. Hope we'll get along."

She looked at me, surprised for a second but ultimately smiled.

"Royal Maid, Dido. I'll hope to be of use, Master."

And so, we headed toward the throne room.

* * *

"Hmm?"

We got across a particular object on one side of the corridor.

"So it's still here." I looked at Lord Camelot leaning against a wall perfectly still, the same way I had left it when I fought Sirius.

"Sorry, Master!" Dido quickly apologized. "We tried to bring it to your room, but for some reason, we couldn't lift it! Forgive my uselessness!"

I see, so they also couldn't move it. Everyone that had tried to wield it had said it was impossibly heavy, even though I could lift it with a single arm.

I wondered; why did Lord Camelot only react to me that way? Was it because of her or…?

I extended my hand to grab it but stopped just before reaching it, as I remembered what I had done with Sirius.

Did I have the right to...?

….

...

...

"It's fine, Dido. Let's continue."

"…? Don't you want to bring it with you, Master?"

"I want to, but in my state, it will only hinder my movements." Even if it was light for me, it was still too big to just carry it on my person. "Besides, I don't need to use it now as I don't plan to fight with anyone."

At least not now.

* * *

We knocked on the door before entering and waited for a bit, as it was apparently the custom for meeting her.

"You can come in." Said a voice I recognized as Warspite's.

"Fujimaru!" Elizabeth greeted me the moment Dido and I entered the throne room. She was sat on her makeshift throne with Warspite standing at her side like always.

Sirius was also in the room, though she was a bit far from the two as if she purposely stood away to give me an uninterrupted view of the Queen and her knight.

"How are you feeling? You have been sleeping for quite a while." While Sirius had said that Elizabeth was worried about me, I couldn't notice anything like that on her.

"Not going to lie, I have been better." No use trying to appear stronger than I was, especially with Dido by my side. "Nothing that a good meal and some rest can't heal, though."

"As expected of my chosen knight! You are fine even after facing against one of our best maids." Elizabeth declared magnanimous."Don't you think he already proved himself, Warspite?"

Warspite looked at me for a bit.

"While I think your tactics were a bit unconventional, Ritsuka Fujimaru, I recognize that you led us to relatively safe victory, as both the maids and you only received minor injuries." Warspite's gaze turned fierce. "However, I am still not convinced that you can protect her Majesty as a Knight."

I narrowed my eyes. Was it just my imagination or Warspite was suddenly wary of me? Maybe she realized that I held no loyalty towards her Queen?

"It takes a lot of you being a Knight; it's not all about fighting strength; you also need the proper mindset." She began. "You need to be by her Majesty's side all the time, always thinking about what possible threats might exist around her and how to eliminate them. You can't forget to put her safely and only her safety first, and you should always…" Warspite seemed to be capable of going on and on.

…or maybe she was just preoccupied with me actually doing a good job as a Knight?

"Don't worry, Warspite." The Queen cut her off. "He'll soon have a chance to show what he is capable of." She turned towards Sirius. "Bring him a chair and call the rest of the maids. Now that the Commander is awake, we can finally start."

"Yes, your Majesty." Sirius bowed and walked towards the exit. It might have been my imagination, but I thought she shot me a glance before exiting the room.

"Start what, your Majesty?" I asked.

"Fufufu." She laughed with a knowing smirk. "The first Royal Navy Tea Party, of course! Now that the final battle is approaching, we must regain our strength and prepare for the final confrontation."

"Final…battle?"

"Yes, after this is over, we are going to assault the Admiral's base." She declared, losing all her previous cheerfulness. "And put an end to this conflict once for all."

* * *

In few minutes, I could see every maid coming and going from the room, bringing various things like chairs and tables. I tried to offer my help, but Elizabeth immediately shot me down with an "It's the maids' job," and sadly, my aching muscles agreed with her.

Anyway, it seemed like the preparations were finished in no time. The room had now a big round table with two chairs and the "throne" of Elizabeth around it, and another small table next to it with a tea set on top.

"Only three chairs…" I thought.

Warspite sat on one of the chairs while I brought my own, with Dido's help, to the table. That meant that Warspite, Elizabeth, and I were the only ones that were sitting while the maids remained standing behind us, Belfast and Sheffield on Elizabeth's side, Edinburg next to Warspite, and finally Dido and Sirius to my sides.

It bothered me a bit that all of them were standing when they could have easily fit at the table with a couple of more chairs. I guessed that they were just fulfilling their "role" as maids, never resting and always waiting for new orders, but it bothered me all the same.

"You can serve the tea, Bel." Elizabeth ordered.

Belfast wordlessly nodded, took a cup alongside its saucer from the small table, and placed them in front of the Queen.

"Here you have, Master." I heard from behind. It was Sheffield who placed my own cup on the table.

"Ah, Sheffield. How did-" I was about to ask her how did their encounter with the Sirens go before she suddenly approached my ear and whispered.

"I know who you are."

"Eh…?"

"Is something wrong, Sheffield?" Warspite asked, apparently noticing our little exchange.

"No, Lady Warspite, I was just indicating Master to refrain from small talk while we serve the tea."

"Hmm, alright." Warspite seemed content with that explanation.

I shot a confused look towards Sheffield, but she didn't look me back, opting for going back to that "waiting for orders" state of the rest of the maids.

What was that about?

"I apologize for the lack of refreshments," Belfast said, as she poured tea on Elizabeth's cup. "All the base's food is military rations, hardly a proper meal to serve alongside tea."

"It's alright, Bel." Elizabeth reassured her. "I am aware that we still lack a lot of things to call this a proper Royal Navy base, but that soon will change." She took the cup and observed how the brown liquid moved to form small waves. "Our next tea party is going to be in a place worthy of us."

"…"

So the time had come, they were going to attack. Was it because she wanted to retaliate after the Admiral's attack, or was that her plan all along?

"Allow me to serve you, Master." Said Belfast, who was now at my side.

"Ah, sure." I moved my cup closer to her, and she poured the light brown liquid on it. Honestly, I was not an expert on teas, so I had no idea which flavor it was, nor did I want to ask; the atmosphere just didn't call for such frivolous talk.

We were going to discuss war, after all.

"Now, is everything ready?" Elizabeth looked around the room. "Before we start, I would like to formally welcome our new maids, Dido and Sirius. I understand that you were mistreated during your stance with the Admiral, but rest easy, he will never lay a finger on you again."

"Thanks, you Majesty." Both said in almost scary synchrony and bowed.

"With that settled, it's an honor to inaugurate the first Royal Navy Tea party." She looked at her left, where her Knight was. "Warspite, would you mind telling us the main matter of discussion?"

"Yes, your Majesty." The knight stood up and started talking as if she was giving a speech. "As you surely have noticed, my fellow vassals, we have been under attack by two forces that seem to be acting independently. The Sirens led by what we think is a high-ranking Siren called Purifier, and a group of rogue humans that don't recognize the authority of Her Majesty the Queen, led by a man we identify with the military title of "Admiral." She looked at me first and then at the maids. "Thanks to the actions of our maids and recently appointed Commander, we have managed to defend ourselves; however, I think it's also time for us to make our move; the purpose of this meeting is to define our next course of actions as a unified faction." Once she was done, she neatly sat back on her seat.

"Well done, Warspite." The Queen closed her eyes and took a small sip of her cup. "And I absolutely agree with you, my friend; we have been far too passive during this conflict. Don't you think so too, Commander?"

Suddenly Elizabeth placed her eyes on me, indicating that it was my turn to speak as a Commander. I could felt the expectations on her stare; if I said the wrong thing, I would be immediately discharged and lose my position in this debate.

"What do you propose we do, your Majesty?" I refrained from accepting or denying that claim, opting for a safe approach.

"We have multiple enemies, Ritsuka, and the recent attacks made it clear that we lack the manpower to fight both the Sirens and the Admiral's force at the same time." She placed her cup on the table. "That's why it's time to bring the rest of the Royal Navy to this world."

"The rest…?"

"Most of our compatriots still lay dormant in the Wisdom Cubes." It was Warspite who answered me. "It's our duty to wake them up so they may fight at our side once again."

"And to do that, we need two things." Elizabeth raised two fingers. "The knowledge that the human posses to awaken the cubes, and the cubes themselves."

Wisdom Cubes? Was that the object used for their conception? They used the word "awaken" though, not creation. Did that mean that they already existed and we humans only woke them up? No, the specifics could wait. What was important was what they planned to do to get those things.

"So that's why you want to assault the Admiral's base. He is in possession of the Wisdom Cubes and the technology to use them."

"We don't actually know if he has them in the base, but using Dido and Sirius as an assault force suggests that he at least has access to them." Said Warspite.

"Whatever the case is, we can't allow anything like what happened with Sirius and Dido to happen again. The Admiral activities must be stopped." Elizabeth's gaze turned fierce. "That's why this will be your first mission as Commander of the Royal Navy, Ritsuka Fujimaru: You must assault the Admiral's base, stop him, and secure the location of the Wisdom Cubes."

"…"

That was the first direct order I received from Elizabeth. Her tone indicated no room for refusals; not only would my abilities be tested, but my loyalty also.

"Do we know where he is, though?" Once again, I didn't directly accept.

"A military base about an hour from here, Belfast has already been around its perimeter; as for the interior…" Elizabeth turned to Belfast, who nodded and walked towards the door.

When she opened it, a man I didn't recognize entered the room; he carried some kind of rolled-up sheet of paper.

"Your Majesty." He kneeled towards Elizabeth and presented her the sheet.

"Good work, soldier." She took it. "You have helped the Royal Navy a lot with your contribution."

"It's the least I could do after Her Majesty pardoned my crimes." The soldier didn't even raise his head as if he wasn't allowed to see Elizabeth directly.

Elizabeth opened the sheet on the table, revealing some sort of rudimentary map.

"Is this…?"

"Yes, a map of the Admiral's base, alongside the number of troops we can expect on each area." Even though it was obviously made in a hurry, the map was surprisingly detailed, showing the approximate area of each room, the entrances and exits, and the spots where the cameras were placed.

"Does that mean…?" I looked towards the man. "You are one of Admiral's men that came with Dido and Sirius?"

"Not anymore." He did raise his head to look at me, and I saw a big bruise occupying half his cheek. "I have seen the truth; I understand now who the true monarch of this country is." His eyes didn't show a trace of doubt.

"…!" I couldn't lie; that terrified me a bit. "What did you do…?" I looked at Elizabeth.

It was just like Johnson, this man who yesterday was a sworn enemy now had become a follower of Elizabeth. Just what had she done to create such a change in character…

"It's natural. The moment he saw me, he understood everything." Elizabeth smiled, her chest puffed. "All of them understood where their loyalty must reside."

"What…?" That answer made me speechless.

"Her Majesty didn't do anything, she just talked with them once we capture them, and they saw the truth." Warspite interceded. "Also, Fujimaru, remember to always address Her majesty with respect." She scolded me.

"…my apologizes, your Majesty." I swallowed my pride; that didn't matter at the moment. What Elizabeth described sounded a lot like brainwash, and that definitely wasn't normal.

I need some time alone with the soldiers to corroborate my suspicions, but things looked grim. Could it be that feeling I got from when she was trying to knight me wasn't just my imagination?

"It is fine as long as you understand." Elizabeth wasn't mad at all. "However, you still haven't given me an answer. We would provide you with the forces and the logistics you need, Commander, so will you accept this mission?"

She was sharper than I thought; she noticed that I have been evading the question.

"…"

Honestly, I didn't want to. Regardless of the Admiral methods, bringing more of these "weapons" to the world sounded like a bad idea. On the other hand, the Admiral also used them to attack us, so he isn't entirely innocent.

Which one was the lesser evil, I wondered.

"Have we exhausted the diplomatic channels? Maybe there is still a way to…" I tried to say.

"Ritsuka, her Majesty asked you a direct question." Warspite interrupted me fiercely. "Answer her."

Tch, no other way then.

"Alright, I accept." I finally answered her. "I will lead the assault toward the base. However, I have one condition."

"You are Her Majesty's vassal! You can't-" Warspite started but was quickly shut up by a movement of the Queen.

"Let him speak, Warspite."

"Thanks, your Majesty." I thanked her with a small nod. "Then, if I am to lead the assault, I want it to be on my terms. I'll get to decide how our forces will move and, most importantly, the use of lethal force or not."

"Rejected."

"Eh?"

"I don't have a problem with letting my chosen knight take command of our forces. However, you don't get to decide who lives and dies; that's my responsibility as the Queen." Elizabeth's voice was firm. She wasn't backing off.

"I won't tolerate senseless killing." I said plain and straightforward, disregarding completely the authority she was trying to impose. The only thing I couldn't accept was having even more blood on my hands.

"Fujimaru, know your place!"

"I agree with him, Warspite. In fact, I would be disappointed if he just wanted to storm the base while killing everyone on the path." Her voice turned soft for a minute. "Those people are as victims as us; they have been living under a false monarchy all these years…We can't just ignore them. It's our duty as the Royals to save them and guide them."

What she said could almost be mistaken by compassion if the core idea wasn't just plain wrong.

"That's why you can rest assure, Fujimaru Ritsuka!" Her voice adopted new energy that seemed to come out of nowhere." As long as I'm the Queen, none of the soldiers serving under the Admiral would be killed; only he would face punishment for his actions."

"Punishment? Will you…?"

"Yes, once we secure the location of the cubes, the Admiral, alongside the former Commander, would be executed."

* * *

Once the military matters were done, the atmosphere changed completely, and everyone seemed to forget all about it. Elizabeth went back to her child-like self and always complimented Belfast's tea, while the maid once again lamented not having a proper accompaniment for it, to which Edinburg happily added that they would be procuring ingredients once they could freely travel the surface.

Warspite also seemed to regress to a more cheerful mood and talked in great length about Dido's and Sirius' swordsmanship, pointing things about stances and different offensive approaches. They eventually ended promising a training spar in the near future.

In other words, the tea party stopped being a serious military meeting. It became an actual tea party where everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

Well, everyone except for Sheffield and me.

Frankly, I was with my back to the wall; I just couldn't think of a way out of this situation. If I led the attack, then not only would the amount of their kind increase, I would also be responsible for the death of at least two people. I had no love for Haydes or that Admiral, but what happened if they were just the first of many? What if the next thing she asked me to attack was the Parliament or the Buckingham Palace?

On the other hand, if I went against the Queen, I would be fighting the entire Royal Navy by myself. Maybe I could bring Sirius and Dido to my side with enough luck, but that was still three against five.

Both paths represented high risks.

And while I was debating between those two hard decisions, the other person who wasn't enjoying the party, Sheffield, was looking at me as if I had just murdered her entire family; I could swear she hadn't moved her eyes off me a single time since the party started.

I wondered how I could manage to always piss her off?

Anyway, I needed time to think, and I wasn't going to do it here.

"Well, this is a lovely party, but I am afraid I must take my leave," I said to Warspite and Elizabeth. "I need to rest to be ready for the assault, after all."

"Ah, is that so?" For some reason, Elizabeth looked a bit sad. "Dido, accompany Commander to his room."

"It's okay; I think I can walk without problems now."

"I must insist, Fujimaru." Elizabeth was quite stubborn today. "Dido, could you-"

"Your Majesty." An unexpected voice interrupted Elizabeth. "I would like to accompany Master myself if it's not a problem."

Elizabeth was speechless for a second as if she was stunned by the sudden eagerness of Sheffield. Meanwhile, Dido was looking between the two, unsure of what to do.

"Master wanted to know the details about our recent fight against the Sirens. I can brief him while we walk towards his room." Sheffield continued as if explaining her sudden outburst.

"Ah, I see." Elizabeth was content with that explanation, and I couldn't help but feel that she was easy to deceive. "In that case, you can go in Dido's place."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Sheffield took my arm by force and basically dragged me out of the room before I could say a single word.

* * *

Elizabeth looked as Ritsuka Fujimaru exited the room alongside Sheffield and couldn't help but feel defeated.

Why? Why hadn't she seen loyalty in his eyes yet?

Queen Elizabeth was no fool; she could recognize loyalty precisely because he was surrounded by loyal servants. She could see it in Warspite, her friend and right hand; she could see it in the maids that served her with everything they got; she could see it in humans that recognized her nature as the true monarch of the United Kingdom.

So why couldn't she see it in the man that was supposed to be her chosen knight, the man she personally chose to be the Commander of her forces.

Was she too uncompromising with him? No, in fact, she was actually too lenient. If any other of her vassals spoke to her with such disrespect, they would be forced to kneel on the ground until she decided it was enough.

It was not her fault; she was already the perfect Queen. But then, why hadn't he noticed yet? Why hadn't he seen her aptness and greatness as a Queen yet?

"Your Majesty?" A voice suddenly brought her back to reality.

"Ah…what it may be, Warspite?"

"No, it's nothing. It's just that your Majesty seemed preoccupied with something."

"Is that so…?" As expected of Warspite, she immediately could tell what was on her head. "But don't worry, nothing troubles me at this moment. I was merely thinking about the future."

"At long last, the final battle awaits…"

"Indeed." She actually wanted to ask her opinion about the apparent defiance of the commander. However, she couldn't possibly show doubt in front of the maids. After all, she was the Queen; it was her duty to always be "right"; she had to be the figure that guided them all, someone without fails that always took the best decision for their country. "But fear not because, with my guidance, we'll surely become victorious."

And maybe that was what she needed to gain Ritsuka's loyalty. To show him that as the Queen, she stood on top of everything.

And he would see it, once she expelled the false Queen and sit on the throne that belonged to her by birthright, as the true Queen of the United Kingdom

* * *

"Sheffield, I know I said I was okay, but could you please not drag me like this?" I asked as I was dragged by her. She was more forceful than usual. "I can walk on my own, you know?"

I got no answer. She just kept going.

As we kept walking, I noticed that we weren't actually going towards my room but to a different part of the tunnels.

"Hey, where are we going?"

Again no response. I was starting to get worried.

"Sheffield, I asked you a question."

But she didn't say anything.

"Sheffield goddammit, talk to me!" I managed to get my arm out of her grasp, and I stopped. "I won't walk another step until you-"

She turned back and pointed her gun at me.

"What are you doing…?" This surely didn't feel like when we were joking around. She seemed serious this time.

"You'll have to come with me, Master."

"Where?"

"My room."

"…didn't know we were that close." I said half-joking, but she was having none of that.

"I have to ask you a few things, and I don't want anyone to interrupt us."

"Can't you ask me right here?"

She shook her head.

I sighed.

"Look, I don't know what happened, but you won't gain anything pointing that thing at me." I tried to reason with her. "We are out of that phase already; I know you aren't going to-"

I heard a loud sound, a single shot was fired, which hit the wall behind me, leaving a black hole a bit too big for a regular bullet.

"Next one is going towards your leg, Master." She said, moving her gun a bit downwards.

"…alright, you have made your point." It was no use trying to reject her, she was pretty adamant about wanting to talk alone. "Lead the way, then."

I truly hoped she had a good reason for that because I was in no position for another fight.

* * *

She immediately locked the door behind us the moment we entered her room. The room itself wasn't really that different from mine if only a bit more spartan. It lacked pretty much any living arrangement aside from a bed.

"You aren't planning on executing me in secret, right?" I knew she disliked me, but I wanted to think that her hate wasn't that strong.

"Depends on your answers."

That wasn't reassuring at all.

"Alright." I resigned myself to begin questioned at gunpoint. "Ask away."

"Then, I'll get straight to the point. How did you arrive here?"

"Eh…? What are you talking about?" I couldn't hide my confusion. "You and Belfast brought me here, remember? We-"

"This world." She interrupted me. "How did you arrive to this world?"

"…" I forced a smile. "Sheffield, what are you saying?" I released a small laugh. "Is this your idea of a joke? I really don't…"

"I know about Mashu."

The moment I heard her name coming from Sheffield's lips, the smile on my face disappeared. I felt like time had stopped for me, as I could no longer breathe normally. The weight of my memories suddenly began to crush me. The pain I always tried to forget resurfaced all at once.

It was useless to pretend ignorance now.

"Who told you that name?" I asked, staring deeply into her amber eyes.

**END OF CHAPTER 14**

* * *

We have a discord server now, where we talk about important things such as how Unicorn is the mastermind behind the sirens and what would happen if someone had two pairs of arms.

Also, I post mini-updates there, I guess.

Invite : discord. gg / kvRCbruzaT (erase the spaces, obviously)

**AN:** Chapter 14 done, actually one of the longest chapters of this fic, with about 9k words

This chapter was meant to be the aftermath of what happened in the previous ones, also the introduction to Sirius and Dido to the group. For those who were waiting for that Sheffield and Guda's talk, don't worry, it would surely happen next chapter, which will probably be done around late March. Finals are just around the corner so I'll be busy until then.

And I think that's it, if you want to ask me something, you can hit me on the discord or with reviews.

See you on next chapter.


End file.
